Quirk of Fate-
by NikkiB1973
Summary: Set five years after Breaking Dawn AU. A chance meeting turns Jake's life upside down...
1. Chapter 1

**Quirk of Fate**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-set five years after Breaking Dawn AU.**_

**Prologue**

Shannon was frightened. There were legs everywhere and she couldn't see through them. Strange faces looked down at her with concern as arms reached out to stop her running, but she managed to avoid them all. Her breath came in short pants as she ducked and weaved her way through the throng of people. Her mommy had to be here somewhere, she had to. She stared around trying to capture a glimpse of her mommy's long chestnut hair or her bright brown eyes, but she couldn't see her, not anywhere. Shannon's little heart beat frantically in her chest as the panic began to overwhelm her. Black spots appeared in her line of vision, making her sight blurry and hard to see. Her whole body shook, hands trembling, legs wobbling, feet stumbling. It was all too much, the panic, anxiety and fear all rolled into one. "MOMMY." She screamed at the top of her lungs. "MOMMY." She whirled around, her long blonde hair hitting her in the face making her stagger forward, right into the back of someone's legs.

* * *

Warm hands rested on her shoulders, and a soothing voice broke through her panic, easing her anxiety and allowing her to open her eyes. A tall man, with a kind smile and tan skin was kneeling down in front of her. It was his legs she had bumped into in her desperate dash to find her mommy. She saw his mouth moving and finally she heard his words as her hearing came back in a rush. Shannon breathed deeply, her blue eyes trained on the kind man's face. "What's your name, little one?" He was asking.

"Shan." She whispered. A crowd was forming around them and she became agitated. She heard someone suggest calling the police and anxiety welled up in her chest. Her mommy was scared of the police. Whenever they saw one mommy would grab her hand and they would hide until it was safe to go out again.

"That's a cute name." The kind man took one hand off of her shoulder and held out it out to her. "Nice to meet you, I'm Jake."

"Nice meet you." Shannon echoed him.

The man called Jake smiled and gestured at a petite woman with black hair and skin the same shade as his. She bent down too and stroked Shannon's hair back from her face. "Hello sweetheart, I'm Rachel. I'm his sister. Is your mommy or daddy here?" She asked gently. "Are you lost?"

Shannon nodded her head vigorously, causing her blonde bangs to fall into her eyes. That was why they were out today; they were supposed to be going to a salon so she could get her hair tidied up. But her mommy had stopped to look in a shop window at some dresses. Shannon had been holding lightly onto her hand when she had spotted a small dog being led by a rotund woman. Shannon loved dogs; she had slipped quickly away, following after the woman and her dog. She longed to stroke its smooth fur. But soon the woman turned a corner and disappeared. When Shannon paused to look for her mommy she couldn't see her and panicked. "I wan' mommy." She whispered, tears springing to her eyes. "Please get my mommy." She begged.

Jake exchanged a worried glance with his sister Rachel before turning back to face Shannon. "What's your mommy's name?" He asked softly so as not to startle her.

"Bell…Bella. B-E-L-L-A." Shannon was proud that she could spell her mommy's name. Her mommy had insisted she learn how to spell both her name and address. "CULLEN. C-U-L-L-E-N." She began to smile tremulously until she saw Jake fall backwards as if her words had shot him like a bullet from a gun.

Rachel appeared speechless as she stared at her brother's shocked face. "No." He was muttering to himself. Shannon thought he looked quite sickly now. His face had turned ashen and his dark eyes had widened as if in pain.

"Did I get my mommy's name wrong?" Shannon asked fearfully.

Rachel recovered first. "No, sweetie." She reassured the little girl. "How old are you?"

"One, three, two, four…" Shannon held up three fingers in front of her.

"Wow you're a clever girl for four being able to spell your mommy's name." Rachel had placed a hand on her brother's shoulder; he was sitting back on his heels in a daze. "What does your mommy look like?"

Shannon scraped the front of her shoe on the sidewalk as she gave it some thought. "Mommy pretty. Um…brown hair." She touched her own head as she spoke. "Um…brown eyes….um…"

"And white skin?" Jake seemed to have recovered a little. He knelt upright again, an indefinable look in his eyes as he studied Shannon carefully. "Is your mommy cold?" He asked.

"Jake?" Rachel said warningly. She glared at her brother but he ignored her.

They were interrupted from their strange conversation by the sound of a woman screaming Shannon's name. The crowd gathered around them parted like the red sea and Shannon turned swiftly, a smile lighting up her face when she saw her mommy charging toward her. "MOMMY." She tore away from Jake and Rachel, completely forgetting about them. "I'M HERE. MOMMY."

"My baby." Shannon was swept up in her mother's arms, both of them crying tears of joy at being reunited. "I was so frightened. You must never let go of mommy's hand again, baby. Never again. Promise me?"

"I sorry. I promise." Shannon babbled as her little arms encircled her mommy's neck and held on tight.

The crowd started to move on now that mother and daughter had been reunited. Bella breathed easier as the fear began to melt away. She had never been so scared in her life, and that was saying something considering what she had been through. She had only looked away from Shannon for a moment as she studied a price on one of the dresses in the window, and bam her daughter was gone. She hugged her daughter tight to her chest, one hand stroking the silvery blonde hair. This little girl meant everything to her. She may not be her natural born daughter, but she was every bit as precious, even more so. Bella was totally unaware that she had an audience behind her as she started to walk away. It was only when Shannon pulled back and waved at someone that she stopped and turned round. The breath left her body and her heart pounded in her chest for the second time that day.

"Long time no see, Bells." Jake said coolly as he looked her right in the eyes.

_**A/N-eek! Thanks for reading! **_


	2. Chapter 2

**Quirk of Fate**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews. Nikki **_

**Part One-Danger**

Bella couldn't believe what she was seeing. It couldn't be true. "Jacob?" She whispered. She clutched her daughter tighter to her chest, her fingers curling into Shannon's silky hair. Why would he be here? In L.A. of all places? She had been so certain that this was the one place she would never come across anyone from her past, anyone.

"Bells." Jacob's eyes roved over her body, taking in the familiar brown eyes and the shiny chestnut hair that had been burned into his subconscious. She was still too thin, and the air of fragility that she always carried around with her was still prominent, but as he inhaled her sweet scent, it confirmed that she was alive, still human, still Bella. She was Bella with a daughter, a living breathing child. This couldn't be Cullen's though she bore his name. So who the hell was the real father? His eyes became dark as he waited for to say something, anything.

Rachel glanced between her brother and Bella uneasily. She couldn't believe it. Bella Swan here of all places? So much for getting Jake away from the chaos his life had become? To come here only to find his past coming back to slap him in the face. Rachel hadn't been living at home when this skinny girl standing in front of her nearly crushed her brother's spirit. She had only heard about it on her return to the reservation, Paul hated this girl, most of the pack did. Once she left for good her name was never mentioned again. Neither Jake nor Bella seemed willing to break the tense silence between them. Rachel decided she would have to. She wanted to get her brother away before something happened. "Long time no see, Bella." She muttered.

Bella tore her eyes away from Jake's and stared at the petite girl next to him. She struggled to remember who this was. The eyes were familiar, and when the girl flashed a sardonic smile, it hit her. This was Rachel Black, one of Jake's sisters. "Good to see you." Bella choked out. "Thank you for…for…looking out for Shan. Thank you both." She tentatively glanced at Jake again. His expression remained cold and stoical. Bella used to call it his Sam face.

"You're welcome." Rachel nodded as she took Jake's arm. "We should go." She urged him.

Jake didn't seem to hear her. "I have a few questions I would like to ask Bella first." He stated coldly.

"I'm sorry." Bella's face had turned white. "I have to go." She swiftly turned around and stalked off, carrying Shannon in her arms.

Jake immediately took off after her. Rachel groaned, there was no way she could catch them up. "Dammit." She cursed. Rachel pulled out her cell and dialled. It was answered on the first ring. "Paul, we have a problem."

* * *

Bella didn't get far before she felt a warm hand wrap around the top of her arm and draw her to a halt. Shannon wriggled in her arms and she had to put her on the ground as her arms were beginning to ache. Damn, why couldn't he just let her go? "You owe me an explanation, Bella." He whispered close to her ear so Shannon couldn't hear. She shivered as his warm breath tickled the hairs on the back of her neck.

"Mommy its Jake, see?" Shannon pointed at him, tugging on Bella's hand as she did so.

"Yes, I know, Shan." Bella smiled at her daughter before forcing herself to face Jake. She didn't want Shannon picking up on any animosity between them. "I am glad to see you are well, Jake." She said to him somewhat stiffly. "But I am afraid we really have to go. Our flight leaves tonight and I need to pack my things."

Jake frowned, his stomach tightening in knots. Flight? To where? He felt bitterness and panic fighting inside him as he tried to keep his composure for the sake of the little girl standing between them. He still couldn't believe that Bella was alive. The last time they had seen each other was on her wedding day, when they had shared one last bittersweet dance together, before things had turned ugly between them and the pack had dragged him away and kept him under house arrest until she left for her godforsaken honeymoon. He had never seen or heard from her again. No one would talk about her or mention her name. When her father Charlie came over Billy always made sure to keep Jake out of the way so no questions could be asked. Eventually Charlie stopped coming over so often, these days his friendship with Billy was strained. "Where are you going?" He asked eventually.

"Home." Shannon blurted out before Bella could speak. "Seetle."

"Shan." Bella remonstrated with her. "I have told you often enough not to tell personal things to strangers."

"Jake not stranger." Shannon muttered mutinously. "Are you?"

Jake couldn't help but smile at the little girl's innocence. She was very endearing. His smile softened his features and he hunkered down and ruffled Shannon's hair before standing up to face Bella again. "You live in Seattle?"

"Among other places." Bella said warily.

"I suppose you would have to keep moving because of _Edward_." Jake spat Cullen's name like it was a curse.

"Who Ed..Edweird, mommy?" Shannon tugged on Bella's jeans and looked up at her enquiringly. "Is he my daddy?" There was a hopeful note in the little girl's voice that Jake couldn't help but notice. So it seemed that Shannon didn't know the bloodsucker. Just what the hell was going on?

Bella's expression turned desperate. Her face turned white again, two spots of red tingeing her cheeks. "No, baby." She whispered.

"Why don' I have daddy?" Shannon's voice was filled with sadness and Bella immediately ducked down to cradle Shannon in her arms as she began to cry.

"You did have a daddy and he loved you very much, but he had to go to heaven. Remember I told you?" Bella murmured as she stroked her daughter's hair back from her sweaty forehead.

"Why?" Shannon slipped her arms around Bella's neck and held on tight. "Why did he go?"

"He couldn't help it, baby. It was his time to go." Bella felt her own eyes becoming moist with tears but she refused to let them spill. She was angry at Jake for bringing up Edward. How dare he? They hadn't seen each other in years. They were strangers to each other now, and she owed him nothing. She refused to get dragged back into that old cycle of guilt and regret. Her only priority was Shannon and keeping her safe. She picked her daughter up again and shot Jake a dark look. "We are done here. I have to go." Bella began to turn away but Jake put his hand on her shoulder. His touch was lighter this time and when she glanced over her shoulder he appeared chagrined as if he regretted his former harshness. "Please just let me go." She whispered.

"Are you in danger, Bella?" Jake asked, ignoring her plea. He could sense the desperation, could actually smell it as fear surged through her body. She was scared, and it worried him, pushing away his earlier hurt and resentment. He already felt ashamed for upsetting Shannon by his probing question about Edward. It seemed the bloodsucker wasn't in their life for whatever reason.

Bella stiffened. Why couldn't he just let this go? Her eyes roamed the crowd behind him, watching the many nameless faces as they passed by. She had hoped that it would be safe here, but she was wrong. Nowhere was really safe, not when darkness fell and creatures of the night came to life. "What are you even doing here yourself, Jake?" She turned the question around on him. "I thought you rarely left La Push?"

Jacob shrugged. "Call it a holiday. I needed to escape for a couple of weeks. So I came to visit Rach and Paul."

"Paul…you can't mean Paul Lahote?" Bella was astonished. "He is with your sister?"

"They imprinted." Jake watched as her eyes widened.

"They live here?" Bella had to put Shannon down again when she became restless.

"Only temporarily until Rach finished her studies. Now she has and they'll be moving back to the res. Rach is a fully qualified teacher now." Jake sounded proud of his sister. It appeared he had grown closer to her in the intervening years she had been gone.

"Well that's great. Now I really need to go. Say goodbye to Jake, Shan." Bella saw her daughter's face fall. It appeared like most people she had taken an instant shine to Jake.

"Do we have to?" Shannon pleaded. "I like this one. Can he be my daddy?" Her face brightened at this idea and she looked up at Jake eagerly.

Bella felt her heart sink. She could see that Jake was floundering too. How could you say no to something like that? "I am sure Jake has his own family to take care of, baby. It's not that bad just you and me, is it?"

Shannon sighed and hid her face in Bella's legs. "I love you, mommy."

"I love you too, sweetheart." Bella kissed the top of Shannon's head before taking her hand. "Take care, Jake. Bye."

"You can't leave it like this, Bella." Jake let his guard down, he couldn't help it. Bella Swan, whatever she did to hurt him, always managed to get under his skin, and despite years of nightmares about her turning into a cold one, to see her alive and breathing had at least vanquished them. But he needed answers. Why had she stayed away? Cullen was gone from her life so she could have come home? Who was Shannon's real father? He had obviously died, but why was Bella so edgy and nervous?. She was scared of something, but what? The old protective feelings pushed to the forefront of Jake's mind and his dark eyes pleaded with her to give him a chance to talk. "Please, you must have an hour or two to spare? Please?"

This was her Jake. Sam's mask had slipped and here was the boy she remembered, the boy who had put her broken heart back together before she had coldly broken his. Bella knew he deserved an explanation, but what was she supposed to say. She couldn't tell him the truth about Shannon and why they were on the run. She opened her mouth to speak before she heard Jake's name being called. She saw him turn around and curse as he saw Paul, followed by his sister, cutting a swathe through the crowds toward them. While he was preoccupied, Bella slipped away, melting into the throng.

* * *

They were yards from their hotel when Shannon stiffened. Her vivid blue eyes darkened and she physically began to shake. "Mommy I can feel them." She whispered fearfully.

Sweat broke out on Bella's forehead as she peered into the bright sunshine. She thought they would be safe here, especially in the day. She fumbled with the lighter in her pocket, the only protection she had against the bastards. She had learned long ago the easiest way to set them alight, giving her and Shannon enough time to flee. "I can't see them." Bella gripped her daughter's hand, spinning them both around in a circle. There was no way they could come out into the light, not unless they were fully covered from head to toe. Their skin would sparkle, giving them away. "Shan, do you sense where they are? Is there more than one?"

Shannon began to whimper. "Two." She held up three fingers.

Bella pulled Shannon behind her, taking a defensive position in front of her daughter. She may be immune to their powers, but Shannon was not. Her eyes roamed back and forth as she tried to see where their enemy lay hidden in the shadowy edifice of the building. Suddenly she was caught in a pair of strong arms; a hand was placed over her mouth. Bella tried to struggle, until a mouth was put close to her ear. "Stay quiet, it's me." The sound of Jake's voice made her relax. He took his hand away from her mouth as he pulled her around to a side street. She sighed in relief when she saw Shannon being held by Paul. He and Jake seemed to communicate silently as they both melted away for a few moments. Bella pulled Shannon close, warning her to be quiet as she heard the sound of scuffling. Barely five minutes later Jake and Paul returned, both looking dishevelled but unharmed. Jake then took Bella's hand along with Shannon's and led them away from the side street back out into the light. Bella followed him docilely, her heart pumping madly in her chest.

"They won't be bothering you now." Jake said softly when they joined the crowds of people again. Paul remained silent but watchful as he kept right behind them. "Why are you being followed by cold one's Bella?" He asked. "I think it's time we had a long chat, don't you?"

Bella nodded. There was no hiding it now. She watched as Jake ducked down and picked Shannon up in his strong arms. Her daughter didn't protest at all. "How did you find us?" She questioned him.

"I followed your scent." Jake said easily. He kept his tone light in order not to alarm the little girl. "I guessed you were in some kind of trouble."

A despairing look lit up Bella's eyes as she gazed anxiously at Shannon. "More than you know." She choked out.

Jake caught her hand again and squeezed it. "You're not on your own, Bella." He stated firmly. "Not anymore."

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	3. Chapter 3

**Quirk of Fate **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews. There is a lot of talking in this chapter! Nikki **_

**Part Two-Horror Story**

Jacob took Bella and Shannon to Rachel's small apartment. She had been sharing with Paul until she had finally completed her studies, her lease was up by the end of the week, when she planned to move back home permanently. Shannon had fallen asleep during the long walk back; it had been a long day for her, firstly getting lost, and then being stalked by the vampires. Her blonde head lolled on Jake's shoulder as he carried her. Bella kept flashing Shannon worried glances which did not go unnoticed by both Jake and Paul. Rachel was already inside the apartment, tidying up the mess left behind by both her brother and Paul. When she saw that the little girl was asleep she directed Jake to lay Shannon on her bed.

"Thank you." Bella said gratefully as she followed Jake into the tiny bedroom and watched as he gently laid Shannon on top of the covers. He put a spare blanket over her sleeping form before stepping back to allow Bella to go to her daughter and kiss the top of her head. "Sleep well, baby." She whispered before leaving and closing the door behind her.

Paul was leaning nonchalantly against the kitchen cupboards, drinking a can of cheap beer. He held one out to Jake, who shook his head at his pack brother. "I'm sure Bella isn't going to judge you for having a drink." He spat sarcastically. "It's not like it's going to affect you."

Jake glared at Paul, but Rachel quickly got in between them. "Not now." She smacked Paul on the arm and he grinned suddenly, pulling Rachel close and kissing her with his beer soaked lips. She shoved him away, but Bella could see she was trying to hide a smile. They made an odd match, but it seemed there was more than just an imprint bond between them, Bella could see the affection in Paul's eyes as he looked at Jake's sister.

"Take a seat, Bella." Rachel gestured toward a sofa bed which she had just cleaned up. Jake's clothes had been piled haphazardly on top of it.

Bella sank onto the sofa gratefully as Paul handed her a mug of coffee. Bella wasn't used to Paul being so helpful. In the past she had usually been the butt of his sarcastic comments. He had always referred to her as the leech lover. If he still thought the same, he was managing to keep it to himself. Bella thanked him and drank the hot drink gratefully. Jake pulled up a chair and sat in front of her, his dark eyes studied her carefully as if he was trying to work up the courage to ask her something. Bella could guess what it was. She owed him; no she owed them all an explanation now. They had intervened on her behalf and the least she could do was let them in on why she was being followed, although she wasn't looking forward to revealing some of what had been going on in her life for the past five years, some of the memories she'd had to force herself to suppress, otherwise she would never get to sleep at all. She took another long drink of her coffee before clutching the mug tightly in her hands. Rachel and Paul sat on the only other chairs in the room and watched her expectantly.

"Bells, why were you being followed by two cold ones?" Jake decided to be blunt. There didn't seem to be an easy way of asking the question anyway. He saw Bella flinch and he put a hand on her knee instinctively in comfort, but he noticed his sister and Paul's disapproving glances, and quickly removed his hand. Bella didn't seem to have noticed.

"It's a long story." Bella began; she put her mug down as her hands started to shake.

"Take as long as you need." Rachel said kindly before Jake could answer her. "We don't want you to feel distressed."

Bella flashed Rachel another grateful smile. The more time she spent around Jake's sister, the more she liked her. Paul didn't seem to agree with his imprint, but he remained quiet as he opened the can of beer that Jake had rejected and began to drink that too. Jake just smiled at Bella encouragingly, this time taking her hand in his own. It was less intimate than touching her leg and this time Rachel and Paul didn't look at each other reprovingly. Not that it was any of their business anyway, he thought briefly.

"To make it easier for you all to understand, I am going to have to give you some background information. When I left for my honeymoon with Edward, I never knew that there was the slightest possibility that vampires, I mean male vampires, not the females, were still able to reproduce."

Jake's eyes narrowed at the mention of her honeymoon. His jaw clenched and he stopped himself growling, unlike Paul who had crushed his can in his hand. He heard his sister chiding her imprint. Bella looked at them all warily, but after taking a deep breath to calm himself, Jake urged her to carry on.

"Um…if I had known there was even a slight possibility of this then I would never have taken the risk of trying with Edward while I was still human…" Bella paused, her face turning red as she tried to suppress the images of her wedding night.

"Bells, did that bastard hurt you?" Jake's voice was almost a growl of anger, his hold on her hand became painful and she snatched it away from him.

"What happened back then is irrelevant now." Bella said stiffly as she hid her emotions behind a stoical mask. "Suffice to say I survived the encounter. Edward as it turns out was impotent anyway, which in the end was lucky for me. If we had consummated the relationship, my death would have been certain."

There were collective gasps from Jake and the others. Rachel's skin had turned ashen. Bella felt like throwing up herself. Revisiting her past was not a pleasant experience. She knew she wouldn't be having a very restful night. Jake had taken her hand again, she could see he was struggling to contain his anger, but she was grateful for his warm touch. Despite the horrific memories she forged ahead. "The Cullen's and I relocated to New Hampshire as planned after the honeymoon. My relationship with Edward was strained to say the least, but despite this I tried to make the marriage work. I was enjoying college and immersed myself in studies."

"About a year after relocating." Bella continued. "Carlisle received a visitor. He went by the name of Nahuel, and he was accompanied by his human mate Serena."

"Another Edward fucking Cullen." Jake shook his head in disgust. "What is it with these vermin insisting on trying to mate with a human? Isn't there enough of their own kind?"

"Jake." Rachel admonished her brother. "Let Bella talk."

"Sorry, Bells. It just makes me so fucking angry." Jake apologised.

"I understand." Bella met his eyes and something indefinable passed between them. She swallowed thickly and carried on with her story. "Nahuel isn't a vampire, he is, or was, a human hybrid vampire. His mother was physically attacked by a male vampire and he was the end game. His mother as I understand it had the strength to carry him to full term, but it took its toll on her." Bella's face paled and she hung her head, unable to meet Jake's eyes as she revealed the next horrifying part. "His birth was horrific; Nahuel ate his way out of his mother's body."

She heard Rachel running for the sink as she threw up. Paul chased after her, cursing under his breath. Bella dared to glance up at Jake. He looked horrified. "This could have happened to you if Cullen had consummated the relationship with you?"

"Yes." Bella whispered brokenly.

"And he went ahead anyway?" Jake was beyond words. He couldn't help himself; he pulled Bella onto his lap and hugged her tightly to his body. He needed to feel her against him, needed to hear her heart beat and smell her sweet human scent to make sure she really was Bella again, and not some cruel impersonator. This was like listening to a horror story, but it was real, all too real.

"Edward and Carlisle proclaimed they thought it was the stuff of legend when I confronted them about it after Nahuel's arrival. They denied knowing that it was a possibility. They reckoned that Nahuel was the first of his kind they had ever seen." Bella hid her face in his chest.

Rachel had recovered her composure. "I think we all need a strong drink." She suggested. She pulled out some money and handed it to Paul. "Go and get whatever you can. I think this is going to be a long night."

* * *

It was late. Shannon had been fed and then put to bed again in Rachel and Paul's room. The adults all sat in the small sitting room, each holding a strong drink in their hand. Bella sat in the middle of them, resting against Jake's side as she carried on where she had left off. "Nahuel's human mate, Serena, was carrying his child. He knew the circumstances of his own birth, and he was fearful it could happen to Serena. He had sought Carlisle out as he had heard of his medical reputation and hoped that Carlisle could help. Serena was in poor health, she was close to the end of her term. Carlisle thought his only option was a caesarean. He operated that same night as Serena's condition was already deteriorating."

Bella took a long swig of her drink. The strong alcohol burned her throat but in a way it was soothing. "Serena didn't make it, there was too much blood loss, and she died without seeing her baby daughter. Shannon is Nahuel and Serena's child; she is one quarter vampire, but three quarters human." Bella raised her head when she heard Paul swear loudly. "She is no danger to anyone, she has special gifts yes, but she does not crave blood, the little venom there is running through her veins is dormant. She is in every way human, do you understand me?" She met each of their eyes with an imperious stare of her own. "If she was pure vampire you would have smelt it, but you didn't, did you?" She glared at Paul as he cursed again.

"Be quiet, Paul." Jake snapped as Paul poured himself another drink. "Shannon is innocent in all this."

"I don't blame the kid." Paul retorted angrily. "It's the circumstances that sicken me."

"Me too." Rachel echoed him.

"It sickened me too, all of it." Bella confessed. "But when I saw that tiny, innocent baby being manhandled and tested like a lab rat by Carlisle and the others I couldn't stand it. I heard Alice and Edward talking about turning her completely when she became of age so she could join their family. Nahuel had been devastated at the loss of Serena, he was in no state to care what happened to his child, he went off alone and later we heard he had taunted two members of the Volturi guard and they destroyed him, but his actions were to prove Shannon's downfall. The one thing the Volturi, the leaders of the vampire world, are frightened of is something different. Aro and the other leaders were horrified that this mating between vampires and humans had been allowed to go on without them knowing about it. They sent out their best guards to weasel out any surviving hybrids, there weren't many, and destroy them. Carlisle and the others were called to Volterra to explain their role in helping Nahuel and his mate." Bella stopped talking as tears began to flow down her face.

"Come here." Jake pulled her into a comforting embrace, and rocked her gently.

"Aro wouldn't listen to Carlisle's pleas for clemency. Aro felt betrayed by his former favourite for hiding his knowledge of the hybrids from him. He and the other leaders sentenced the Cullen's to death if they did not give up Shannon. I couldn't have that, not that. She was a baby, a small innocent baby. Edward and Carlisle came back from the meeting and told me they had no choice but to hand her over to the Volturi. I couldn't have that, I couldn't. In that moment I hated Edward so much, if it wouldn't have broken my hand I would have slapped him. Rosalie and Esme were as horrified as I was. So in the end we colluded together. They couldn't leave Italy but there was nothing stopping me from escaping with Shannon. With their help I got out of Italy with falsified documents showing that I was Shannon's natural birth mother. We have been on the run ever since, never staying in one place too long. We have been tracked down so many times and have had some hair raising moments. Aro must have gone through with his threat and ended the Cullen's before sending out his guard to track me and Shannon down." Bella finished her story in a rush, tears streaming down her face.

Rachel appeared by her side and handed her another strong drink wordlessly. Bella sat up on Jake's lap and drank it all down in one go. They all sat in silence for a long time as each of them tried to digest Bella's news. If not for the fact that their own lives were pretty bizarre it would have sounded totally unbelievable. It was Jake who finally broke the tense silence. "You need a place of safety where you can settle. You can't keep running anymore, Bells. You need protection."

Bella knew where this was heading. "Not La Push, Jake. No. I won't risk it."

"Yes, La Push. This isn't just about you, it's Shannon too." Jake reminded her.

"There is the small matter of Sam." Paul interjected. "He won't allow Shannon onto the reservation. He will still see her as a vampire." He pointed out.

Jake's face darkened. "I don't give a fuck what Sam Uley thinks or wants."

"He is your Alpha still." Rachel said worriedly. "You're here because it was getting bad between you and him. This will push things over the edge between you. It could start an all-out war within the pack. You are all fractured already."

"I will deal with it." Jake stated firmly.

"Good luck with that bro." Paul muttered.

Jake ignored him as he turned his attention to Bella. "You're coming home with us. No arguments." He said when Bella began to protest. "If you want to keep your daughter safe then this is the only way."

Bella stared at him for a moment before glancing at Paul and Rachel. They both shrugged, obviously leaving it in her hands. She swallowed thickly as guilt consumed her. She was bringing trouble to Jake all over again, but he was right this was the only choice, and she had to think of Shannon. "I'll come, thank you." She finally agreed.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	4. Chapter 4

**Quirk of Fate **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews. Nikki **_

**Part Three –Calm Before the Storm**

It was raining when they all finally reached La Push, raining incessantly. Bella made sure Shannon was well wrapped up in her rain mac as she slipped out of the back of Jake's truck and onto the soggy ground. Thunder rumbled and lightening lit the hazy sky, lighting up the raindrops and making them fluoresce. Shannon stuck out her tongue to catch the droplets and she peered up at the heavens, the roiling black clouds sped across the sky, pushed along by the violent wind.

"Is God angry, mommy?" Shannon asked as she took Bella's hand.

"Why do you ask that?" Bella gazed down at her daughter worriedly. Shannon had been very quiet on the plane journey, and had slept through most of the ride to La Push. Her face shone white under the dark blue hood of her rain mac, and she seemed a little unwell.

"Because he's crying and growling." Shannon pointed up at the stormy sky.

"No, baby, that's just the weather." Bella began to lead her daughter toward the small redwood house which was almost obscured by the heavy rain. Jake soon joined them after taking out their meagre luggage from the truck. Paul and Rachel would be joining them later. They had gone to take their own stuff back to the small apartment they were currently renting on the other side of the reservation.

"Big change from the sun in L.A. huh?" Jake smiled at them both as he unlocked the front door and ushered them inside.

"I forgot how wild the weather could be here." Bella pulled her hood down and began to unbutton Shannon's mac. She stared around at the familiar house and a sense of nostalgia washed over her. It felt like she had never really been away. She finally wrestled the mac from Shannon's thin body and led her daughter to the couch. "Are you feeling okay, Shan?" She brushed the little girl's bangs out of her eyes and stroked her sweaty cheek.

"Jus' feel sleepy." Shannon mumbled. She put her thumb in her mouth, something she hadn't done for months and rolled onto her side, closing her eyes.

Jake stood beside Bella after stowing the bags and gazed down at Shannon. "She okay?" He asked softly, putting a hand on Bella's lower back.

"She's a little hot. I think she may be coming down with a fever." Bella was feeling anxious. Shannon never got ill; this would be the first time. In fact Carlisle had deemed it an impossibility, but what did he really know? They were all flying by the seat of their pants where Shannon was concerned. She was unique.

Jake knelt down by the couch and felt Shannon's forehead. The little girl opened her eyes for a moment and smiled weakly, before closing them again. She did feel overly warm, Bella was right. "We'll give her something to take her temperature down, it's probably a chill."

"Okay, thanks." Bella sat down next to Shannon and stroked her silvery blonde hair back from her forehead. "You'll be okay, baby. Mommy's here." She murmured.

* * *

The storm continued to lash the house. The heavy rain drummed on the roof and bounced off the windows, rattling them in their frames. The electricity went off as the day progressed and Bella was forced to huddle in a pile of blankets with Shannon, as the house went cold. Rachel finally showed up about midday, carrying food supplies in a box, which Jake took from her as soon as she came into the house. Her silky hair was windswept and her face was flushed from the cold. "Jeez, what a welcome home." She pushed the front door shut and hurried to join Bella and Shannon on the couch, slipping one of the blankets over her shoulders.

"Did you see dad?" Jake asked cautiously. They had deliberately not called to tell him they were coming home earlier than expected. He had been staying with the Clearwater's while Jake was away in L.A. visiting Rachel.

"Yeah, I saw him." Rachel bit down on her bottom lip as she glanced at Bella.

"Did you tell him Bells was here?" Jake saw his sister wince and he knew that her meeting with Billy must have been as stormy as the weather outside. He felt guilty letting his sister handle their father alone, but he had wanted to be with Bella, she had been feeling increasingly anxious the closer they got to Washington State. Sensing Bella's distress, Rachel had offered to face Billy alone.

"I did." Rachel sighed heavily. "He wanted a detailed explanation as to why Bella is here. I explained that you were human and he had nothing to fear." She patted Bella's hand as she spoke. "That news calmed him down, but he wasn't best pleased that you kept him in the dark, Jake." She shrugged as Jake sat down heavily in the chair opposite them. "He wanted to come back with me, but thankfully Sue intervened and persuaded him it was best to wait until the morning." Rachel lowered her voice so only Bella and Jake could hear. "I didn't mention Shan. I thought it best coming from you two."

"Thanks sis." Jake leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. Automatically they all looked at Shannon. They had given her some medication and her temperature was finally dropping, she was sleeping again, but was very restless, mumbling things none of them could understand.

* * *

The next to arrive was Paul. He burst into the house, his whole body covered in water. His bare chest glistened as the droplets dripped from his skin. His cropped hair was plastered to his head. He caught the towels that Rachel threw at him and began to rub himself down vigorously. "It's chaos out there." He glanced toward Shannon who had woken up when she heard him come in. "Hey, pipsqueak." He greeted her, the whites of his teeth flashed as he grinned at her.

Shannon returned his smile tiredly. "Hey, dumbass." She said innocently. Paul's grin grew wider and the others began to laugh. Shannon had picked up the word after hearing Jake call Paul that on a number of occasions on the journey home. Paul wasn't in the least bit offended. He seemed to have taken a liking to Shannon, much to Bella's relief. Out of all of them he had been the one she thought would have caused trouble about bringing her daughter onto the reservation. But it appeared she had underestimated Paul Lahote, perhaps it was his relationship with Rachel that had changed him, or perhaps he had just mellowed over the years. Whatever it was she was glad that he had their backs. From the little she had picked up from Jake and Paul's private mutterings about Sam, it seemed she would need as many people in her corner as possible.

"You look flushed, chica." Paul reached out and ruffled Shannon's hair.

"I did flush. Didn't I mommy?" Shannon looked worriedly at Bella for reassurance.

Bella giggled, Shannon had completely misunderstood Paul's comment. She saw Rachel hit Paul lightly on the arm. He raised his eyebrows as if to say _what? _Shannon tugged on Bella's sleeve when she didn't answer. "I did flush the toilet, I did." She insisted indignantly.

"Yeah, chica. You sure did." Paul laughed and ruffled Shannon's hair again as she smiled widely in relief at his praise.

* * *

Jake and Paul stood outside on the Black's front porch. The rain was still falling incessantly, obscuring everything in sight. The front yard was slick with mud and deep puddles had formed in every dip and crevice in the ground. Both men knew that this storm could last for days. The girls were inside making some dinner on the old camping stove that Billy kept in case the electricity went out, which it often did in this part of the world. Shannon was asleep again, knocked out by the cold medication.

"You saw Sam?" Jake finally asked the question that had been plaguing him since Paul's arrival. He hadn't wanted to mention anything in front of Bella; she was already jittery enough about being in La Push uninvited.

"He's mightily pissed, Jake." Paul frowned as he recalled his tense meeting with his Alpha. Nothing could be hidden from Sam; he easily picked through Paul's thoughts and was soon up to speed on the current situation with Bella. He had ordered Paul to bring Jake to him right away to explain himself, but Paul had pointed out that Sam had no power over Jake anymore, not even himself. His power was waning, and although he was doing his utmost to keep control, the other members of the pack were already gravitating unconsciously toward their true Alpha. Only Jared and surprisingly Quil seemed to be fighting against the change, but Paul suspected that was because of their loyalty to Sam's imprint Emily and her family. Rachel was in no way associated with that crowd, much to Paul's eternal relief.

"He can stay pissed, for all the good it will do him." Jake stared moodily into the dark. If he tried to list the many problems he had with Uley he would be here forever.

Paul ran a hand through his thick hair. "He's gone to the elders." He watched as Jake's whole body stiffened. He could feel his brother's anger and it made his own wolf howl inside. Jake's power was strengthening. Sam would not win if it came down to a face to face fight. The problem was would he be fighting alone, or would Jared and Quil back him up against Jake if he forced his will upon them all, which looked increasingly likely now he had a reason to take control, the reason being Bella and Shannon.

"So Uley decided to hide behind the old men's skirts instead of confronting me directly?" Jake spat sarcastically. "He is a coward."

"What will you do?" Paul asked.

"Wait and see for now. I'll wait to see how the elders and Uley play their hand." Jake stopped speaking when the door opened and Bella called them inside as the dinner was ready. He gave Paul a meaningful look to remain quiet before heading inside.

* * *

Jake stood at the sink next to Bella as they washed up the plates. Bella rinsed the plates then passed them to him to dry. Paul and Rachel were in the other room playing cards with Shannon. Paul was trying to teach Shannon poker, and as she did with most things, she picked up the rudimentary rules easily. In fact it appeared she was already kicking Paul's ass by the sound of his amused disbelief.

"Thanks for this, Jake." Bella smiled at him tremulously. "I know what a big risk you are taking bringing us here."

"It's no risk." Jake returned her smile. "I'm glad to help. We're friends, right?" His eyes glowed with affection and something deeper. Bella blushed as she quickly averted her eyes and concentrated on the dish in her hands. She hadn't dared to ask him about whether there was a woman in his life. He had no children obviously, but she couldn't imagine he was single either. Part of her wanted to broach the subject, but another part, the part that was scared to know, put it off. For the first time in a long while she felt safe and protected. She didn't want to lose the feeling yet. She felt Jake's fingers brush the skin along her cheek as he pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. "It's going to be okay, Bells. I promise. Nothing can hurt you here."

A tear rolled down her cheek and he wiped it away for her before taking the next plate from her shaking hands.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	5. Chapter 5

**Quirk of Fate**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews. Nikki **_

**Part Four-Billy**

Bella woke suddenly from a particularly horrific nightmare. She was back in Volterra again, surrounded by a group of red eyed vampires. She was trying to shield Shannon from them but to no avail, there were too many, and she couldn't hold out. She was human and weak, she tired too quickly and it made her drop her guard momentarily. It was all the vampires needed to attack. The last image of the ghostly hands trying to wrench Shannon from her death grip stayed with her. Shannon was lying beside her in the bed; they had camped out in Jake's room for the night while he slept on the old couch. Bella touched her daughter's rosy cheek. Shannon's skin was still flushed and she was far warmer than she should be. Bella had hoped her fever would have spiked overnight and begun to recede, but it seemed it was determined to hang on.

Parting the curtains at the window, Bella peered out. It was still dark outside, the heavy cloud cover made it seem almost like night. The rain was still incessantly drumming on the roof, and she was surprised she had managed to find any sleep, if you could call it sleep. She slipped out of the bed and walked over to the small mirror hung on the wall, her ghostly reflection looked back her. Ugh, she was a mess. Bella gingerly touched the dark circles under her eyes before proceeding to try and sort out the tangled mess on her head. She used her fingers to comb through the silky strands, but gave up in defeat when the snarls became too tight. Checking on Shannon one last time, Bella sneaked out of the room and headed toward the kitchen to make some coffee.

The electric was still out, and would be for the foreseeable future. Bella found Jake already awake and bent over the small cooking stove they had used the night before. He wasn't wearing a shirt, it had been a long time since Bella had seen Jake without one, and it brought back memories of the past. He was still beautiful, even more so then she remembered. Her memories hadn't done him justice. She watched the byplay of his muscles on his back as they bunched under the smooth tan skin. He was trying to get the gas to ignite, and after a few tries, he finally succeeded. "Coffee?" He asked as he twisted round to look up at her.

Bella flushed a little, feeling mortified that she had been caught staring. She saw a glimmer of amusement in his dark eyes before he turned his attention back to the stove. "Yes, thank you." Bella replied politely. She retreated to the kitchen table and began to fuss with the mugs and plates.

Jake soon returned with two steaming hot mugs of coffee. He passed one to her as he pulled out a chair for himself. "Sleep okay?"

"Yes." Bella was still being formal. She hadn't yet got over her embarrassment. She wished he would put on a t-shirt or something. Seeing him like this was distracting.

Jake sipped at his coffee as it was still very hot. "Are you sure? I heard you talking in your sleep. Sounded like you were having a nightmare." The amusement had faded from his dark eyes to be replaced with concern. "I was going to check in on you, but thought better of it. I didn't hear Shannon stir."

Bella didn't like being reminded of her nightmare. She tore her eyes away from his and concentrated on her coffee. She wrapped her fingers around the mug, the warmth was somehow soothing and she relaxed a little. "Yes, I did have a bit of a bad dream, but its fine. I'm used to it." She picked up her mug and drank some of her coffee.

Jake put a warm hand over hers, and squeezed her fingers briefly before letting go. "You can talk to me you know." He said huskily. "I'm a good listener."

Bella finally raised her brown eyes back to his. She got caught up in the intensity of his gaze, and felt her heart quicken at the look on his face. She flushed some more, unable to stop her skin's reaction to him. She couldn't seem to form words, her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth as she continued to gaze back at him.

"Mommy." The tiny pitter patter of feet broke the intensity of the moment. Shannon came into the room, her vivid blue eyes over bright, two spots of red streaked across her cheeks as she padded toward her mother. "I don' feel well."

Bella picked Shannon up and pulled her onto her lap. She felt her daughter's forehead and sighed. "You're still hot, baby. I'm going to have to give you some more of the medicine."

"Yuck." Shannon pulled a face. "I hate strawberry medic…medicine."

Bella smiled affectionately at Shannon. "I know, but it will help you to feel better. That's worth the icky taste, isn't it?"

"Spose so." Shannon pouted and hid her head in Bella's shoulder.

Bella stroked her daughter's hair as Jake went to get the medicine.

* * *

The storm raged on outside. Jake disappeared to the garage to get some more supplies. With the electricity still out they needed light. He had torches and candles in the garage, along with some spare gas canisters to power the stove. When he came back inside he was soaked through. The shirt he had finally put on was stuck to his skin, showing off every ridge and groove in his six pack. Bella found herself ogling him again and she heard him laugh to himself, although like before he didn't call her out on it. Shannon had fallen asleep again after eating a light breakfast. Bella was glad that her daughter had managed to eat at all, but it didn't stop her having to give her more of the medicine to keep Shannon's temperature down.

Jake dumped all the gear on the floor and hurried to the bathroom to dry off and change into some new clothes. While he was gone, Bella rifled through the supplies and found some candles. She smiled to herself as she lit them with her lighter and placed them high up around the room so they were out of Shannon's reach. The light chased the dark away and she felt a little better. Jake soon returned and helped her sort through the rest of the gear. The frozen food was on the verge of going off so Bella began to cook as much as she could so that it could pre-packed for later and wouldn't be wasted. While she went about her task, she would often turn to find Jake watching her discreetly. When he found her looking his way, he would quickly avert his gaze and act as if he hadn't been caught staring. Seeing him react this way made Bella feel less guilty about her earlier ogling. It seemed they were as bad as each other.

They worked together in comfortable silence as the storm continued to rage outside and Shannon slept. It was lunchtime when their fragile peace was shattered. The sound of a truck pulling up outside disturbed them. Jake hurriedly went over to the window and looked outside. He sighed heavily when he saw Sue Clearwater, along with Billy sitting in the front seat. Seth was already out of the truck pulling Billy's wheelchair out in readiness to help the older man into it. Jake turned and gave Bella a sad smile. "My dad's back. I better go and help him inside."

Bella glanced back at her sleeping daughter. Her heart felt heavy in her chest, she had been enjoying the tentative peace she had found. For the first time in a long time she had felt like she had a shot at a normal life. She knew inside that Billy was not going to let them stay. She watched Jake trudge outside and headed to the window so she could catch her first glimpse of Billy. The rain was still pelting down, the droplets bounced off the window as she peered out. Jake skilfully eased his father out of the front of the truck after greeting Seth and Sue, he didn't bother putting Billy in his chair, and instead he carried his father straight into the house so he wouldn't get too wet. As they entered Bella hurriedly approached them with some dry towels. She noticed Bllly's eyes widen at the sight of her, but he refrained from saying anything as he took the towels from her and began to wipe his face.

Seth and his mother didn't stay. Instead once Billy was inside they said their farewells to Jake and promptly left before the storm worsened and made it impossible to drive. Bella retreated to the couch where Shannon was lying. Her daughter was still deeply asleep, her chest rising and falling with each breath. Billy's dark eyes followed her and they narrowed as they studied Shannon carefully. "This is the child that Old Quil called me about." His gaze darted to his son as Jake cursed Sam Uley under his breath. "You made your sister keep that quiet."

"Because I wanted to tell you myself, and that child has a name, Shannon." Jake said testily, irked by his dad's tone. He put a comforting hand over Bella's as he perched on the arm of the couch next to her. Billy's eyes flicked to their joined hands and his expression showed his ambivalence.

Jake ignored his dad's look and ploughed on. "I take it Old Quil filled you in on everything?"

"Yes." Billy rolled his chair forward so he could examine the sleeping child carefully. Bella sat in front of her daughter defensively. No one was going to say anything negative about Shannon. She was an innocent. If Billy said one bad thing she would not hold back. He could curse her to the pits of hell as he had every right to do, but not Shannon, never Shannon. Bella felt like a tigress ready to defend her cub from attack. She felt Jake's fingers lace with hers as they waited for Billy to say something. "Shannon you say?" He said eventually. "A very nice name for a pretty young thing. Did you name her?" He asked Bella directly.

Bella relaxed; her face softening as she gazed down at her daughter. "Yes. It was always a favourite of mine."

"You look well, Bella." Billy looked her up and down pointedly. "There was us all thinking you were a cold one all this time." His barbed comment made Bella flinch. Her posture stiffened again and she heard Jake growl.

"Don't you dare, dad?" Jake whispered fiercely.

"Don't dare?" Billy retorted, keeping his voice low for Shannon's sake. "I will dare. Once again you allow Bella Swan to bring trouble to our very door."

"God, you sound like Uley." Jake stood up and began to pace. He knew the initial greeting had gone too well. He should have known Billy was lulling them into a false sense of security before he launched his attack. "I am a protector." He stabbed a finger to his chest. "That's what I risk my life to do, protect innocents from cold ones, innocents like Shannon and Bella."

"Do not lecture me, Jake." Billy matched his son's glare. "That is not what this is about and you know it. You protect your lands from trouble. You do not willingly bring it onto tribal lands and endanger every other innocent as you put it, on the reservation. Your people come before anything else. Your duty is to them, not…"

"Not what?" Jake questioned, his eyes blazed as he hunkered down in front of Billy.

"Not to those whose loyalties lie elsewhere." Billy finished succinctly. He looked across at Bella, who had gotten up and was already beginning to gather her stuff together. "I have notified Charlie that you are here, Bella. He will be here to collect you very soon."

Bella dropped the bag she was holding back onto the floor. Her eyes widened in shock. Jake had risen to his feet and his fists were clenched as he glared at his father in anger. He was livid. His arms were subtly shaking and Bella sensed he was on the verge of shifting. She couldn't believe Billy had done this. "You had no right to call him." She whispered disconsolately. "No right at all. I would have left quietly, without fuss. You didn't have to drag my dad into this. He doesn't deserve this."

"Doesn't deserve to know where his only child has been for the last five years?" Billy roared, forgetting all about keeping silent. "Is there no end to your selfishness, Bella Cullen?"

Shannon woke up abruptly, her long silvery blonde hair spilled around her shoulders as she stared blearily across at Billy. "Mommy?" She said fearfully. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, baby." Bella cooed as she picked her daughter up and cradled her against her chest. "Everything is fine. I just need to get our things together and we'll get going."

"Are we leaving?" Shannon's face fell and tears pooled in her eyes. "I like it here. I wanna stay here."

"You are staying." Jake said at the same time as Bella told Shannon they had to go. Jake glared at his dad again before slipping his arm around Bella's waist and reaching out to stroke Shannon's bangs back from her hot forehead. "You are staying." He said again with more conviction.

"I think Deanna might have something to say about that?" Billy interjected as he stared stonily at his son.

Jake's eyes narrowed as Bella reeled backwards. Deanna? Who was Deanna? Billy answered her question almost as soon as she thought it. "Deanna is your fiancée Jake. Or have you forgotten? I am the one who has had to field worried calls from her after you took off for L.A. without a word to her. She is rightfully upset."

"That is none of your business." Jake muttered. He flashed his father a disgusted glance as he held Bella firmly in place as she tried to move away from him. She felt like she had been stabbed in the heart, although she didn't know why. Jake owed her nothing. His private life was his own. However she couldn't stop the despair washing over her that another had a claim on his heart, she had thought, she had assumed that something was building between them, the way he had been looking at her, the easy way he touched her, just like he used to all those years ago. Bella felt like a fool. She was always reading into things that weren't there.

"We need to go." Bella murmured as she tried to wrench herself away from Jake's side.

"No." Jake was glowering at Billy who remained defiant as he glared back at his son. Jake's fingers dug into Bella's waist, effectively anchoring her in place.

Shannon became restless as the tense atmosphere communicated itself to her. Bella clutched her squirming daughter tighter as she watched the standoff between father and son anxiously. It was the sound of a car pulling up outside which interrupted them.

"That must be Charlie." Billy said needlessly as he tore his eyes away from his son's and rolled his chair toward the front door so he could let Charlie in.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Quirk of Fate **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews. Tissue warning advised! Nikki **_

**Part Five-The Storm Breaks**

Bella had to brace herself to see her father, it had been such a long time, five whole years had passed since she had looked upon his face, not because she didn't want to, but because she had to keep her distance to protect him as well as herself and Shannon. Of course Charlie would not know the reason behind her absence from his life. She had made the odd hurried phone call to him over the years, as she had to Renee, but she always made sure to use a pay phone so the call couldn't be traced to where she was staying at any one time. Charlie had begged her to come home for a visit several times, but she had put him off with vague excuses which she knew hurt him. But what choice did she have? Now Billy had forced the issue and now she no choice but to deal.

As soon as he entered the small redwood house, Charlie's eyes darted to his daughter. A smile broke out across his face as he saw her standing in the middle of the room, Shannon clutched in her arms. She looked thinner than he remembered and her face had a wary look about it, as if she was on the verge of running. Charlie had decided to be cautious and treat Bella as he would any frightened animal, because he could easily tell how skittish she was, he didn't know the reason behind it, but there was no way he was going to push her so hard that she gave into that flight instinct. She was here, in front of him, and he just wanted to hug her and tell her how much he had missed her. It was only when he heard Shannon whisper the word mommy, that his attention became focused on the pretty little girl in his daughter's arms. "You have a child?" He said in astonishment. It wasn't how he had meant to greet her but the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. He glanced to the side at Billy who refused to meet his gaze. Disappointment flooded Charlie as he returned his attention to the little girl looking back at him with interest.

"Shan, this is my dad, Charlie. He's your grandfather." Bella gave her dad a tremulous smile and walked over to Charlie, her legs wobbling a bit as she did so. His eyes widened at this piece of news and he had become speechless. Bella gazed at her father anxiously, taking in the new grey hairs which flecked his hair and moustache, there were a few more lines around his eyes, but other than that he was very much like she remembered him. In her ever changing world he represented the stability she had lost and it made her realise just how much she had missed his guidance and love.

Shannon's pretty face brightened at this piece of news. She eagerly held out her arms to the distinguished man in front of her, and Charlie took her carefully from his daughter, a smile curving his lips upwards. "Hello, Shannon." He mumbled. His eyes became moist as Shannon's thin arms encircled his neck as she cuddled him.

"Hello, Grandfather." She said happily, pulling back a little so she could look at him properly. "I never had a Grandfather before." Shannon put one of her small hands on his face and smiled widely. Her face was still flushed from her fever, but for the moment she seemed to perk up at the excitement of finding out her family was bigger than she thought.

"This is…this is amazing. I'm a granddad." Charlie jiggled Shannon a little as he held out his other hand for Bella to take. She took it at once and Charlie pulled her into a hug, a tear finally escaping from his eyes. "Welcome home, kiddo. Welcome home."

* * *

After the initial jubilation of their reunion had died down, Charlie glanced at Billy. "Well we'll be on our way now." He smiled at Bella, tickling Shannon's cheek as he did so to make her laugh. "Get your things, kiddo."

Jake spoke for the first time, shooting his father a glare as he did so. "No, Charlie. Bells and Shannon will be staying here for the foreseeable future. The weather is terrible at the moment; there have already been reports of flooding in some areas. It's not safe." He said in desperation.

"I am totally aware of that, Jake." Charlie glanced at Billy again. "The roads leading here are still fine. We leave now and we'll be home in no time." He paused for a moment as he watched Billy's reaction carefully. "Your father has made his feelings quite clear about Bella not being welcome."

Bella flinched when she heard that news. She knew Billy had vented his anger about her past actions, which he had a perfect right to, but to make it so plain to his oldest friend that she wasn't welcome on the reservation took her breath away. She guessed from the little she had heard from Rachel and Jake that there had been some kind of coldness between the two older men, meaning Charlie had more or less stopped his visits to the Black's house, but she hadn't realised the root cause had been about her. She saw Jake's eyes darken as he stared his father down. Billy remained defiant and matched his son's stare.

"Bella will be staying here." Jake stated coolly to Billy, trying to keep his tone even so as not to alarm Shannon.

"Like the Chief said, the roads are clear." Billy finally dropped his eyes to his hands, unable to take the intensity of Jake's hurt and disappointment in his reaction. But Billy refused to back down on his decision; he had to think of the greater good of the tribe, and his son's welfare. Bella was trouble, always had been, and he wanted that trouble as far away from tribal lands as possible. He knew that in her current predicament, that once the storm passed, Bella would most likely take to the road again and vanish from Charlie's life. He felt sad on his friend's behalf, but in the long run it was for the best.

Jake tried to persuade Bella to stay. She shook her head adamantly, mumbling her thanks for all the help he had given her, but she refused to put Jake under any more strain then he already was. According to Billy Jake had a fiancée waiting in the wings, and the last thing this Deanna would want to see was an old flame, if she could even call herself that, taking up all his time. No, Jake deserved to be happy, and free from trouble. It had been a bad decision on her part to come back to Washington State. She and Shannon had survived so far, they could do so again. The world was a big place with plenty of places to hide. Perhaps it was time to leave America altogether. Once the damn storm let up that was. Bella's only regret was having to hurt her father all over again. She was never going forgive Billy his part in it. She quickly finished packing and followed her dad to the door. "Thanks for allowing me to stay the night." She said formally to Billy. She mouthed a quick sorry to Jake before hurrying out into the driving rain after her father, who was carrying Shannon and racing to the car so he could get her inside before she got too wet.

* * *

Billy watched as Jake strode over to the phone and placed a call to his sister. He explained what had happened. Rachel was alarmed to hear that their father had all but tossed Bella out of the house. She promised to come straight over and keep an eye on Billy so Jake could phase and go after Bella and Shannon. There was no way he was going to leave her unguarded, not in the danger she was in. Paul was already phased and patrolling in the wild weather, as was Embry. Jake told his father coldly to answer the door when Rachel arrived and before Billy could say anything more in his own defence, Jake was out of the door and phasing.

The fur along his back blew every which way as the strong wind pounded against his body. The rain lashed at him, getting into his eyes and obscuring his vision. The storm was escalating. Jake was glad when he reached the trees, they shielded him against the brunt of it, although listening to the eerie sounds of the wind as it sighed through the branches of the trees set him on edge. He was already hyped up enough as it was. He was having trouble reigning in the anger he felt toward his father, he never thought Billy would have pushed things so far. Jake couldn't help replaying the scenes in his mind and soon he felt the empathy from his brother's wash over him, especially Paul.

"I'm on your tail, bro." Paul said through the pack mind link. Jake could feel how fond Paul had become of Shannon, and he was glad of the backup. Two was better than one when it came to protecting Bella and her daughter. "What your dad did was harsh. It's not the kid's fault."

"Thanks." Jake increased his speed, anxious now to get to Forks. The wild weather was increasing his tension. He just wanted to make certain Bella and the others all arrived safe at the Swan house. The driving conditions were terrible. He knew Charlie was a careful driver, but the slightest slip could prove fatal.

"They'll be fine." Embry's calming voice pierced his consciousness. Jake saw his brothers close by as they caught up with him. Paul's silvery grey fur shone in the weak light filtering through the trees. Embry's coat was much darker and was harder to see.

"You don't have to come, Em." Jake told him.

"I want to." Embry relied firmly. "I'm your wingman, remember?"

"Yeah." Neither of them mentioned the fact that their other wing man, Quil, was missing. The three of them made a V formation as they threaded their way through the wind tossed trees, edging ever closer to Forks.

They never made it that far. They were five miles away from their destination when the rest of the pack all phased in together, with Sam at their head. Within moments the black Alpha wolf appeared, effectively blocking the path toward Forks. He was flanked by Jared and Quil, Seth and Leah hovered in the background, their tails flicking anxiously. The two youngsters Colin and Brady paced agitatedly from side to side. The raging storm made the tension increase exponentially.

"No one is to stray beyond the tribe's boundaries. Where do you think you are headed, Jacob?" Sam demanded.

"Don't play games with me." Jake snarled. "Get back and let us through."

"No. No one is going past the boundary." Sam tried to exert his control over the whole pack, but instantly Jake mentally fought against the order. He didn't have time for this.

"Get the fuck out of my way." He roared.

Sam's hackles rose as he crouched low, ready to teach Jake a lesson in respect. He was sick of Black defying his orders, especially if it was in defence of Bella Swan. That woman had brought enough misery onto the res in the past. Sam would not have her dragging his brothers into another fight that wasn't anything to do with them.

Jake howled his defiance as he heard every single thought that passed through Sam's head. "One last chance, Uley. Get out of my way." He warned.

Sam never bothered replying, with no warning he attacked.

* * *

The rain lashed at the windscreen, the wipers could barely keep up with it. Charlie slowed right down, his eyes straining as he tried to see the road ahead. He glanced in the rear view mirror and saw Bella stroking her daughter's silvery blonde hair. Shannon's face was flushed and she seemed very agitated. He heard Bella asking the young girl what was wrong. They were only a mile away from Forks, but the way he was being forced to drive a normally five minute drive was going to take twenty. Charlie thought he saw something shadowy cross the road and he braked, a little worried that some stupid person was walking in the middle of the road, but no, he must have been mistaken. He forged ahead, only for his heart to nearly stop as Shannon suddenly screamed.

"Mommy, they're here, they're here."

Charlie braked hard, the car swerving a little as it skidded on the wet road. Thankfully it stopped. He took a deep breath as he twisted his head to stare at his daughter. Bella's pale face had turned completely white; her large brown eyes looked haunted as she gazed down at Shannon, who was trembling like a leaf. "How many, baby?" Bella whispered brokenly.

"Three." Shannon replied tremulously as she held up four fingers.

"What does she mean?" Charlie asked in confusion as he saw tears begin to roll down Bella's face. "What is it?"

"I'm so sorry, dad." Bella's face was awash with sadness. Before he could say anything she had pulled her daughter tight against her, as if she was trying to shield Shannon from some kind of danger. "You stay close to me, Shan. You promise?"

"I promise, mommy." Shannon said faintly.

"Bells, what the hell is…." Charlie never completed his question. The shadowy figures he had seen pass him before suddenly loomed large around the cruiser. His door was literally yanked off the vehicle and a white, bloodless hand wrapped around his upper arm and hauled him bodily out of his seat.

* * *

There were four of them just as Shannon predicted. Bella recognised Jane and her brother Alex. They looked childishly small against the tall, imposing figures of the other Volturi guard standing behind them. One of them had his hand wrapped around Charlie's throat; his red eyes gleamed as he licked his lips. Jane drew her red hood back from her head and shot the guard an irritated glance. "Stop being so theatrical Felix. " She said in a bored tone. "Aro isn't here to play up to."

Felix's jaw twitched, but he nodded his compliance. Jane turned her attention back to Bella, who was standing in front of Shannon, shielding her with the only defence she had, her body. Jane's red eyes glowed as she studied the small hybrid cowering behind Bella's legs. She looked miniscule and irrelevant, hardly a threat. But Aro and the others insisted that all the half breeds needed to be vanquished, and she would be the last. Jane felt nothing for the pathetic hybrid; she would carry out her master's orders. Her only goal in life was to serve Aro, the only pleasure she felt was when he praised her for doing her job well. She was part of his elite guard, someone of importance. Someone who mattered. No the small hybrid was not the threat here; it had always been the cowering figure of the weak human standing before her. Aro craved Bella's shielding power, wanted to add her to his personal guard. It would mean that Bella would take pride of place next to her master, and Jane could not have that, never that. Bella had humiliated her once in front of Aro, by being able to withstand her powers, she would not get the chance to do so again by taking Jane's place as his favourite. Oh no, Jane had the perfect revenge planned for this interloper.

"If you do not release the hybrid to me then I shall order Felix to snap your father's neck and drink his blood." Jane threatened mildly.

Bella gasped in horror as she stared across at her father. Charlie looked back at her. His face was ashen but he had a determined look in his eyes. He had no idea what these creatures were. But they were strong, cold and he couldn't fight against them. He was chilled to the bone as the thick marble skin of the demon that held him froze his bones. But he would never let anything happen to the young grandchild he had only just met, or his beloved daughter. If he could sacrifice himself for their freedom, it was worth it. "Do what you want to me, but let them go." He called out bravely.

Jane actually rolled her eyes as her companions snickered. "I would personally break your neck for being a fool." She stated coldly. Her red eyes glowed fiercely again as she motioned for the other guard and her brother to apprehend Bella and snatch the hybrid. Faster than the eye could see they moved. The nameless guard was suddenly in front of Bella. She stared at him briefly before she lashed out with her lighter, setting his hair and the top of his cloak ablaze. He emitted a loud wailing sound as he fell back, trying to dampen the flames with his hands, only to burn them in the process. It was the rain that helped in the end. It soon extinguished the flames, leaving behind the smell of charred smoke. Bella turned round as she felt coldness creep up her back, but she wasn't fast enough, not with so many against her. Shannon was wrested from her grasp as Jane personally picked up the child by her long hair, a wicked smile crossing her doll like face, as she flung Shannon hard against the bole of a tree. Shannon's head rocketed back like a rag doll as she fell lifelessly to the ground, she never uttered a sound.

A manic scream tore from Bella's throat as she thrashed wildly in Alex's hold. Her hands were like claws as she tried to get to Jane, wanting to scratch her eyes out and kill her in the most painful way possible. All she could see was her daughter's body lying curled up on the floor, her silvery blonde hair covering her face. "I curse you." Bella cried. "I curse you to the pit of hell."

Jane sneered maliciously as she took hold of Bella's chin and forced her to look into her reddened eyes. "I was going to kill you, but I think I will get greater pleasure by keeping you alive and weak. Every day you will be in torment as you relive how you failed to save the one you loved. You killed that child as surely as if you had broken her neck yourself. You do not deserve a place in Aro's guard; you are a pathetic, weak, vile little human. My work here is done." Jane stepped back, pulling her red hood over her blonde, shiny locks. "Release her. Release them both. The job is complete." Jane swirled around, her red cloak sweeping about her petite frame as she melted into the darkness.

Alec dropped Bella as if she was a bag of garbage onto the ground, taking the air from her body as she hit the dirt. Felix, who was irritated that he was being denied his kill, did the same to Charlie. They soon followed after Jane, fading into the storm as if they had never been there.

* * *

Bella crawled over to Shannon, her hands pulling her through the thick dirt. Her hair and clothes were plastered to her body as the relentless rain lashed at her skin like a thousand knives. She felt none of it. She had to get to her daughter. After what seemed an age she reached Shannon's side and scooped her broken body up into her arms, cradling her against her chest. "Baby, mommy is here." She smoothed Shannon's bangs back from her forehead, gazing down upon her angelic face. She looked as if she was asleep. "Wake up, baby, wake up." She whispered over and over. There was no response; Shannon lay lifeless in her arms.

Charlie finally recovered his own breath. He staggered over to Bella and knelt next to her. His eyes were full of sorrow as she began to beg him to help her wake Shannon. Charlie could do nothing but put his arms around them both and hold on tight as Bella began to scream her anguish and despair to the heavens above, she screamed until her throat closed up and she had no voice left, what remained of her heart shattering into a million pieces.

_**A/N-:'( You all have to trust me! Sighs…**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Quirk of Fate **

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews. Nikki **_

**Part Six-The Cycle of Life**

He would forever hear her screams in his nightmares; Jacob was in the midst of fighting Sam when Bella's despairing cries rent the air, over and over until they eventually died away. The fight stopped instantly as all the wolves became fully alert. Jacob tore off in a mad dash toward Forks, his heart racing in his chest as he tried to get to Bella as quickly as possible. Her name resounded through his head, matching the thrumming of his heart as the adrenaline shot through his body. The pack was right behind him, all of them matching his frantic pace. The relentless rain soaked their fur and branches whipped in their faces as they took the most direct route to Forks.

The rancid stench of vampires mixed with a charred burning smell hit the pack in the face the closer they got to the scene. Jacob could hear Bella's tormented sobs; she was whispering Shannon's name over and over. His heart felt like lead as he was the first to break through into the little clearing. He was primed for attack, but there were no vampires, instead he was met with the heart breaking sight of Bella slumped over the fallen figure of her daughter. The little girl lolled in Bella's arms, her face hidden by her long, silvery hair. Charlie was crouched beside them as he tried to persuade his daughter to get up. When Jacob burst through the trees in his wolf form, he hadn't given Charlie a thought. Charlie instantly twisted around and tried to shield his daughter from what he thought was another attack, this time from a rabid wolf.

Jacob instantly morphed back into his human form, tugging on the shorts tied to his leg in one swift movement. Charlie fell back, his eyes wide in disbelief as he watched Jacob run over to Bella. Seconds later, more wolves appeared, and one by one, they all changed back into their human forms. Leah stayed discreetly behind the trees before coming into view. The others didn't bother. Charlie found himself surrounded by the young men he had known their whole lives, they all wore sombre expressions. Paul Lahote, usually such a force of nature immediately joined Jacob, both men hovering over fallen Shannon, both of them close to tears.

It was Leah who had the forethought to approach Charlie. She knelt beside him, her face full of sorrow, as she whispered how sorry she was. She steadied Charlie as she helped him to rise. Seth appeared on his other side and took his other arm. Charlie felt like he was suffering with sea sickness, his legs were unsteady and he was grateful that Harry's children were propping him up. He gazed over at Bella, she was still crying her heart out, her voice full of despair as she begged Jake to help wake Shannon up. He watched as Jake picked his daughter up and cradled her in his arms, while Paul gently picked up Shannon's inert body, his expression grief stricken, and tears rolling down his face. Like a funeral procession, the pack walked back to the Swan house, carrying Shannon and Bella. Sam Uley hovered in the background, his face stoic, only his dark eyes showing any hint of emotion. The others all ignored him as they trudged after Jake and Paul who were in front. Colin and Brady brought up the rear, they were still very young, and had not really seen much action, since they had phased after the newborn battle, but this, this really brought home to them how fragile life was.

* * *

Leah placed a call to her mother, explaining what had happened. Sue was sickened. She drove over to Forks straight away, only stopping briefly to notify Billy about Shannon's death. When Billy heard the tragic news he felt heaviness on his chest. This was his fault; it was down to him that an innocent child had lost her life in such a horrific way. He had let his stupid stubbornness and fear over Jake's emotional welfare, cloud his judgement. Yes, Bella had caused a lot of heartache for his son, but Jake had never held a grudge against her. He had suffered greatly when she first left him, but Jake had been strong enough to pull himself together and carry on with his life. Bella would always remain his first and true love, but she had made a choice and after a few years passed Jake seemed to find a quiet acceptance of his fate. It had been Billy and a few others who had never forgiven Bella for the decisions she had made, and the resulting trouble it had caused. Seeing his son's broken body after the newborn battle had cemented Billy's feelings toward Bella, and her coming back after five years, effectively seeking asylum from more vampires had brought all his old resentment back. But because of his stubborn refusal to see the bigger picture, a child, Charlie's granddaughter, had lost her life.

Rachel watched in silent horror as her father wept bitterly. She was having trouble processing the terrible news and couldn't find it within herself to comfort Billy. She sat down on one of the kitchen chairs and stared sightlessly in front of her. It was only when she tasted the bitter taste of salt that she realised she was crying. She thought about the sweet, gentle child who had played poker with her and Paul only the night before and it made her heart hurt in her chest. She couldn't fathom that Shannon could be gone. It wasn't fair. Just like losing her mom, losing Shannon was just as grievous a tragedy.

"You have to drive me over there. I have to see Charlie. I have to say sorry. I have to tell him I didn't mean for this to happen." Billy begged his daughter breathlessly.

Rachel turned to look at the man who had brought her up. He looked like he had aged ten years since the news; his skin was grey and his eyes full of pain mixed with guilt. She tried to summon up some empathy but found she just couldn't. She was too damn angry at him. "Do you really think they want to see you right now?" She spat, pushing her chair back violently as she stood. "I'm sorry I can't be around you right now." She marched out of the house, slamming the door behind her. Minutes later Billy heard her car start up and pull away as she headed for Forks.

* * *

Paul laid Shannon on Bella's old bed in the Swan house. He pressed his lips to her cold forehead and stepped back, his hands shaking a little. "Goodbye, chica." He whispered. "Rest in peace." He looked upon her serene face. Shannon seemed as if she was just sleeping. Paul had seen a lot of heartache in his life, but he had never experienced the loss of such a young child and it about tore him apart. Anger at Sam welled up inside him, if Uley had just stepped aside and let Jake and him pass, then they would probably have been able to save Shannon. He looked upon Shannon one last time before fleeing down the stairs, on the hunt for Sam.

* * *

Bella wouldn't be comforted. She fought off Jake's arms and fled to her daughter's side. She crawled on the bed beside her and put an arm around her gently. "I'm here, baby." She murmured as she stroked Shannon's hair away from her forehead. "We'll have to get that fringe cut, won't we baby." She continued to touch her daughter's face, ignoring the coldness of Shannon's skin and the stiffness about her limbs, as she took Shannon's small hand in her own. "I won't leave you, Shan. I won't." She promised.

Jake stood in the doorway watching silently as he listened to Bella talk to Shannon in soft tones. He felt nausea well up inside, he couldn't control the sadness which was threatening to overcome him. He felt like his ten years old self again on the day he was told his mother was never coming home. He remembered seeing Sarah's body as it was laid out for the mourners to view before she was buried in the traditional tribal fashion. Just like Shannon, Sarah looked as if she was merely taking a nap. The injuries had been hidden expertly by her long black hair and by discreet makeup. Shannon didn't have a mark on her. Her skin was as translucent as ever, her silvery blonde hair shone under the dull light from the only lamp in the room. It was still stormy outside, the rain battered the window and the wind whistled mournfully. His introspection was broken by the sound of yelling. Jake glanced at Bella, she seemed unaware of the ruckus, she had her head next to Shannon and her eyes were closed. The noise increased and Jake left, his teeth gritting together.

Paul and Sam were outside fighting. The others milled around just watching, their eyes dull as they saw Paul pound his fist into Sam's face over and over as he yelled obscenities at him. Sam wasn't even defending himself. Jake glared at his pack brother's before he leant down and hauled Paul away from Sam, he shook Paul a little, although he wished it was his fist tearing into Sam's flesh, but Bella didn't need this, no one did. Jake could see by the devastated look on Sam's face he was punishing himself enough. "Enough now." Jake said forcefully, his eyes meeting each member of the pack, lastly locking eyes with Paul. "You've made your point." Paul snorted derisively before turning on his heel and heading back into the house.

Jake stood in front of Sam who had staggered to his feet. He wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand. "I'm sorry, Jake. I never meant for this to happen." He was talking awkwardly through his split lips, blood trickled down his chin.

"Get out of here." Jake stated coldly. "This is a place of mourning and you…" He paused for a moment as his eyes roved Sam's damaged face. "Are not welcome here." He said no more but followed Paul back into the house.

* * *

Sue finished giving Charlie a hurried explanation about the wolves and their mortal enemies the vampires. She didn't think she did the whole sorry tale justice, but it was the best she could do under the circumstances. Charlie had been through a baptism of fire as far as the supernatural was concerned and Sue knew he was lucky to have come out fairly unscathed, physically at least, but mentally, not so much. Charlie was silent for a long time before he asked only one question. "And Billy knew all these years? He knew that Bella was marrying a monster?"

Sue swallowed nervously as she nodded. "He wanted to tell you so many times, but tribal politics stopped him." She said lamely.

Charlie's eyes darkened. "Tribal politics be damned. He was supposed to be my best friend. We shared everything. I will never forgive him for this, never." He spat.

Sue tried to put her arms around Charlie but he stood up and walked away from her.

* * *

Bella wouldn't leave Shannon's side. She became hysterical if anyone tried to prise her away. No one could persuade her, not Charlie, Sue, Rachel or even Jake. In the end Jake went into the room with her and lay on the other side of Shannon, his hand reaching out for Bella's. He flinched at the dead look in Bella's eyes as she snatched her hand back. She felt dead inside. Shannon had been her heart, and now her heart was crushed, crushed and unable to recover. She wanted to stay by her daughter's side until her body gave up the fight to live and she could join Shannon. Her little girl would be frightened without her.

Jake could think of no comforting words, there were none. He had failed Bella. It had been his insistence that she come back to this godforsaken place. He had insisted that he could protect her, keep her safe from harm, but instead he and his people had dragged her right into the lion's den. He should have stayed with her in L.A. and gone on the run with her. Then Shannon would have been alive and not lying cold between them. He heard Bella singing a soft lullaby and he joined in, his deeper voice entwining with hers. In the house everything was quiet, only the silent sobs of the women breaking the tense silence.

* * *

Hours passed and finally despite their best efforts Jake and Bella fell asleep. Jake had reached for Bella's hand and this time she didn't fight him. Their warm bodies encased Shannon's cold one, and the heat from their skin warmed the little girls. Night had fallen and the others still maintained their silent vigil, no one made any move to leave. Eventually one by one the occupants of the house all found sleep. Paul was the only one who remained awake. He was feeling restless. He gently eased a sleeping Rachel out of his arms. He kissed her lips softly and a glimmer of tears made his eyes lambent as her lips pursed in response. God, he loved her so much. Each day he was thankful that she had accepted him; she could so easily have rejected the imprint.

Paul crept silently up the stairs. Something was drawing him up there. He wanted to see Shannon one last time and tell her goodbye. The first time he had been full of anger, and had wanted to pound Sam, but he felt a little calmer, full of sorrow, but calmer. He didn't want to intrude on Jake and Bella but he could hear their deep breathing as he approached the bedroom and knew they were asleep. As silent as only a wolf can be, Paul tiptoed over to the bed. It about broke his heart to see Jake and Bella curled around Shannon, as if trying to keep her warm with their own body heat. He leaned over and gazed upon Shannon's body. His heart leapt in his throat, and his eyes widened when he saw that the little girl's eyes were open. She looked back up at him, her lips curving up into an angelic smile.

"Hey, dumbass." She whispered.

Paul took a few seconds to answer as he used his acute senses to check that he wasn't dreaming and what he was seeing was real. Slowly an answering smile crossed his face as he gently touched her cheek. "Welcome back, chica."

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	8. Chapter 8

**Quirk of Fate **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews. Nikki **_

**Part Seven-A Peaceful Interlude**

"Look mommy, sunshine." Shannon smiled as she held her hand under the shaft of light breaking through the clouds, dust motes swirled in a spiral, sparkling like diamonds. Shannon was entranced by it; she watched the light travel over the palm of her hand, curling her fingers in and out as she did so. "It's pretty."

"Just like you, baby." Bella felt tears prick at her eyes, but they were tears of joy. One day ago she would not have thought this possible, that she would be able to stand on the back porch of her father's house and look up at the sky with her daughter. Twenty four hours ago she had thought she had lost Shannon for good, only for Paul to shake her awake and tell her excitedly that Shannon had come back to life. It was a miracle, and she had thanked god, the spirits or whoever was listening up above, for bringing her little girl back to her. Shannon seemed none the worse for her ordeal, and after Bella gently questioned her about what she remembered about Jane's attack, Shannon pleaded ignorance. Her memory of the traumatic event had been wiped clean.

"You're pretty too, mommy." Shannon stretched her arms up in the air as more light broke through the clouds. The storm was finally at an end.

"Thanks, baby." Bella hugged her daughter to her, smothering Shannon's protests as she clung to her as if she would never let her go. She had nearly lost her daughter once, Bella vowed to remain even more vigilant so it could never happen again. From now on Shannon's welfare would be her only focus. She couldn't risk losing her again.

* * *

Charlie watched his daughter and granddaughter play with the sunbeams through the kitchen window. A small smile lightened his anxious expression as he heard Bella laugh, and Shannon burst into giggles. It was such a happy sound, and one he hoped he would hear every day for the rest of his life. His whole perspective on things had changed irrevocably after the attack. Finding out that vampires were real, and not the stuff of nightmares and horror stories as he had been led to believe, had been a wakeup call. He had been drifting through each day while he had been living alone, having no idea where the hell his daughter was in the world. He was determined not to lose the tenuous connection he had made with her now she had returned. It had been a lonely existence without her, and even lonelier when his solid friendship with Billy had fractured after Bella got married to Cullen. To find out after all this time that Edward was a monster, a blood drinking demon, and Bella had known that, and willingly married him anyway had been hard to take. Charlie wanted to talk to her about it, ask her why, what had drawn her to the Cullen's? Was it something in her upbringing? Was it something he had done when she came to live with him? Or had they used their powers to draw her in so she couldn't let go, even when the whole family had left the first time? And then there was Jake and the whole wolf thing? As if thinking his name conjured up the man himself, because he was a man, even though Charlie would forever think of him as a boy, Jake came into the kitchen, running a hand through his messy hair and yawning. Unlike his sister Rachel and the others, Jake had refused to go home and see Billy, he was still too angry at his father, and had asked to crash at the Swan's house for a few days. Charlie wondered whether it was more to keep a close eye on Bella than anything.

"Where are Bells and Shan?" Jake asked as he joined Charlie at the window.

Charlie pointed outside. Bella was swinging Shannon round in circles, making the little girl's blonde hair fly out behind her in a long banner. The weak sun made the silvery strands shimmer. The happiness on both of their faces fairly took one's breath away, only heightened when they both threw their heads back and laughed. Jake was captivated by the look on Bella's beautiful face, he had never seen her so carefree, all the anxiety had been wiped away, and her face glowed as she spun Shannon round and round until they were both dizzy.

"It's hard to believe that Shannon was hurt at all." Charlie said thoughtfully. "What do you think brought her back to us?

Jake leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. "It's hard to say. Sue told you that some, not all, vampires have special abilities. Shan only has a little bit of vamp in her genes, but maybe what was inside, was enough to heal her. We can only speculate. Bells thinks that's the most logical conclusion. Vampires can regenerate, if you tear off one of their limbs for example, as long as it's not damaged they can essentially stick themselves back together."

Charlie grimaced at the thought. Jake sounded so matter of fact about it, as if it was an everyday thing, but then it must be for him. He damn well killed the things. He was a freaking huge wolf. Charlie glanced at him, wondering how it could be possible. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes he would think he was going soft in the head talking about vampires and wolves. "I never thanked you." He said suddenly.

"For what?" Jake asked curiously. Charlie was looking out at his family again.

"For keeping my daughter safe during that newborn battle thing that Sue told me about." Charlie swallowed thickly. "You were hurt, you could have been killed." He turned his attention fully to Jake. "I wish I had known."

"I should have told you." Jake confessed. "I wish I had. I should have put all the stipulations and the stupid rules to one side and just spilled everything, especially when she married Cullen." He sighed, his voice full of regret. "But then if I had Shannon wouldn't be here with us now. So I guess all of what happened in the past was meant to be. That's how I've decided to look at it anyway. Regrets are worthless. It's what we all have now that's important." He put a hand on Charlie's shoulder. "Seeing Bella like that with Shannon made it all worthwhile."

"When did you turn into such a wise ass?" Charlie joked lamely.

"What do you mean when?" Jake laughed as he too looked out at Bella and Shannon as they raced around the back garden, both full of life and happiness.

* * *

"You can't avoid him, Jake." Bella said quietly a little while later as they sat out in the sunshine. Bella had spread a blanket on the grass after making up a picnic lunch. No one wanted to be inside now that the sun was finally showing its face. Her eyes were on Shannon as she spoke; the little girl was making chains of out of the wildflowers and putting them around Charlie's neck. She was in the process of weaving a crown for his head. It lightened her heart to see her father enjoying his time with his granddaughter. It made her love Charlie even more that he had been so readily accepting of everything. He had placed no blame, and had not pushed her to divulge everything that had gone in her life in the past five years; he just told her he would listen when she was ready to open up.

"I am still so angry at him, Bells. I need to give both of us space until I feel calm enough to have a frank talk with him. Otherwise I could say something I regret." Jake picked at the grass idly. Rachel had called that morning and confessed that Billy was inconsolable. She was still angry at him herself, but he couldn't be left alone to fend for himself, as the siblings both knew, when Billy was upset he would forget to take his meds and neither of them wanted that on their conscience. Rachel had told Jake she understood his reluctance to talk to their father but she urged him not to leave it too long. Jake had promised to come over in a few days and thrash it out with Billy. He had thanked Rachel for taking up his slack before ending the call. He guessed his sister was going to bring up the subject of Deanna, and she was the last person that he wanted to think about now. Not when he was enjoying the peace, and having Bella back in his life. It was like the intervening years had never happened; already they had fallen back into their easy friendship. Jake loved Bella, he always had, no other woman could compare.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Bella snapped her fingers in front of his face, startling him out of his reverie. "Where did you go?" She asked in amusement.

"I was thinking about us." Jake blurted out. He watched Bella's face; a frown marred her forehead and the teasing smile slipped away. "What is it?"

Bella sighed. "We're friends, Jake. Let's not complicate things, huh?" She picked up a small cupcake and bit into it as if trying to distract herself. "Want one?" She offered.

"No." Jake took her free hand and laced his fingers with hers. Bella's eyes dropped to their joined hands before she looked directly at him. "I want more than your friendship, Bells." He stated frankly. "I know its early days but my feelings for you have never changed, and by the way you look at me when you think I don't notice, I guess you still care for me too."

"Always so blunt." Bella said half in admiration, half in irritation. "You never let me hide from the truth, do you?"

"That's not my style." Jake squeezed her hand before dropping it and reaching out to grab a cupcake for himself.

Bella watched him eat the cake in one mouthful, a grin lighting up his face as he chewed. She didn't want to spoil his good mood but there was a huge cloud on the horizon, one he seemed not to want to talk or even think about, and it made her wonder why he was forcing her to be the one to bring it up, but there was no point in continuing anything until she knew for certain. "I need to be blunt too." She watched his grin fade. He knew what she was about to say, but she said her name anyway. "Deanna?"

"She's irrelevant." Jake said dismissively.

"Irrelevant? She is your fiancée." Bella snapped irritably. She saw Shannon and Charlie look over at them worriedly as they caught her sharp tone, if not the reason behind it. She softened her voice and waved at them to reassure them all was fine. "Don't patronise me, Jake." She whispered.

"I never claimed to be a monk, Bells." Jake skirted around the issue, hoping to divert Bella's attention from the subject of his so called intended.

"What?" Bella stared at him in disbelief. "I never expected you to be. The point is you are not free. You are taken."

"I'm not."

"Billy said…"

"I told you it's irrelevant." Jake caught her chin in his warm hand and made her look into his eyes. "Do you trust me?" He demanded.

Bella gasped as she caught a hint of the Alpha wolf inside him. His eyes were dark and he had an air of arrogance about him that she found both intoxicating and irritating at the same time. What the hell was wrong with her? And with him for that matter? How could he dismiss a fiancée as irrelevant? "Trust isn't the issue here. Your intended is."

Jake let her go and stood up abruptly, brushing the crumbs from his jeans as he did so. "I want you to come with me." He demanded, holding out his hand to help her up.

"Where?" Bella struggled onto her feet. Jake had a determined glint in his eyes and she could tell he was in no mood for her refusal. "I can't leave Shannon."

"We won't be gone long. I am sure Charlie can look after her for an hour." Jake called out to Charlie and told him that he and Bella were taking a short walk. Charlie just nodded as he turned his attention back to his granddaughter. "See? All sorted."

"Where are we going?" Bella questioned again.

"To see Deanna." Jake grabbed her hand and wouldn't listen to any further protests from her as he practically dragged her after him.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! Mmmm…the mystery deepens!**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Quirk of Fate **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thanks for kind reviews, Nikki.**_

**Part Eight-Deanna and Drunkerella**

Jake parked up outside a large one storey house. It had a wraparound porch and was painted a pretty eggshell blue. Hanging baskets full of colourful flowers hung outside the front door and the long gardens were well kept and tidy. Bella began to feel a bit intimidated by this display of affluence. It seemed that Deanna's family had money, there were three rather expensive vehicles parked outside the adjoining garage. "Your fiancée lives here?" Bella asked as she climbed out of the car and gazed at the sprawling property. She could hear the sounds of horses neighing, which meant that the family living inside must have stables at the back somewhere she couldn't see.

"Deanna lives here, sure." Jake refused to say the word fiancée. Bella gave him a dark look as she followed behind him, up the steps and to the white painted front door. Jake knocked several times, and no one answered. "She's in there, she is." He muttered. He knocked again much louder.

"Perhaps we should go?" Bella began to back away, but before she got too far, the door was opened slightly and a pretty girl, with luxuriant shiny black hair down to her waist peered out. She was wearing a short, pink silky dressing gown, and little else. Her shapely tan legs made Bella feel like a skinny beanpole, and she found herself wrapping her arms around her midsection defensively as she used to do in the past.

"Deanna." Jake greeted the beauty at the door with a big grin on his face. Seeing him smile like that made Bella feel even worse. She hid behind him a little.

Deanna was not best pleased to see him though. She put her hands on her hips and pouted. "Piss off, Jake. I'm in the middle of something."

Bella was shocked at this tirade of abuse. She glanced at Jake's face to see if he was offended, but his eyes twinkled and he seemed to be amused by Deanna's reaction to his impromptu visit. What kind of bizarre relationship was this? She watched Deanna roll her eyes before she finally focused her attention on Bella. "Is this the pale face?" She asked looking Bella up and down. "I thought she would be taller." Shrugging Deanna turned on her heel and sauntered back into the house, leaving the door ajar, presumably for them to come in.

* * *

Jake stood to one side and gestured for Bella to enter the house first but she refused, waiting until he took the lead. Why had he brought her here? She was once again thrust back into her old insecurities as she watched Deanna covertly from the corner of her eye. She reminded Bella of Rosalie and Leah, both tall, both extremely proud and confident in both looks and the way they carried themselves, which meant the opposite of poor, clumsy, insecure Bella. Deanna had stopped by a little drinks cabinet and was busily pouring some shots. She handed one to Jake, who took it and drank it down in one go, and then one for Bella.

"I don't drink really." Bella mumbled as her hand shook, shaking the liquid in the glass.

"Try." Deanna urged her with a lazy smile. "You look like you need it." She then turned to Jake, raising her perfectly manicured brows as she did so. "And what do I owe the pleasure of your unwanted company today? I finally have the house to myself, no parents, no pesky siblings to interrupt, and then you go and spoil it all."

Bella decided to drink the shot after all as she covertly looked at Jake, waiting for him to explode at Deanna's rudeness. But instead he just grinned again and winked at the other girl. What the hell? Irrational jealousy surged through Bella as she drank the shot, coughing a little before she held out the glass again. Deanna smiled slyly as she topped up the small glass for a second time. Bella quickly finished that one off too. The alcohol eased her anxieties and when Deanna topped up her glass for a third and then fourth time, she didn't feel anxious at all. She took Jake's arm, beaming at him as he looked at her curiously. "You feeling alright, Bells?"

"Fine." Bella mumbled, clutching onto his arm to steady herself. For some reason she was feeling a little unsteady.

"Right party girl we have here." Deanna laughed; even her laughter was sultry and sexy. Bella began to feel the knot in her stomach forming again. "So Jakey boy are you going to answer my earlier question or are we gonna stand here all day getting pissed like your gal pal?"

"You gave her the shots." Jake retorted.

"She obviously needs them to hang out with you. Now, why are you here?" Deanna was getting impatient. "I was in the middle of some fun."

"I bet." Jake's voice was full of sarcasm. "Where is he? I can smell him."

"Smell who?" Bella looked around, feeling completely perplexed. She let go of Jake's arm when she saw Deanna pour herself another drink. "I'll have what you're having." Her voice wasn't slurring, it wasn't.

"Easy there, tiger." Jake warned her.

"Piss off, Jake. Let the paleface have some fun. Get some colour into those cheeks." Deanna shocked Bella by pinching her cheeks and smiling wickedly as she passed her a large glass of something, Bella wasn't sure what it was, but it tasted nice.

Jake shook his head in amusement as he suddenly yelled out in a loud voice. "Come out. I know you're here." Startling both Bella and Deanna who had suddenly become best friends as they were clinking glasses and whispering that Jake was indeed an ass.

The sound of a door opening and feet padding on the wooden floor made Bella narrow her eyes to get them to focus. So there was someone else here? She leaned heavily against Deanna who was in the midst of topping up Bella's glass with whatever it was she was drinking. Bella took a large swig, swaying absently. Finally she got the shock of her life when she saw an irritated Embry march into the room, wearing nothing but some boxers. Bella's eyes swivelled to his six pack, so much like Jake's. "Wow, nice." She mumbled, hitting her glass against Deanna's.

"Yeah my man is toned." Deanna was staring at Embry with hooded eyes filled with lust.

Bella blinked a couple of times, trying to get her frazzled brain to work. "Your man?"

"Well yes. I'm not in the habit of sharing, sweetheart." Deanna laughed throatily as she poured Embry a large drink and handed it to him, kissing his lips seductively. "You'll have to stick with Jake I'm afraid."

"I thought you were Jack's…Jape's…oh his fian…thingy." Bella's eyes were nearly crossing in her efforts to get her words out. The whole world suddenly seemed a bit blurry. She took another long drink from her glass.

Deanna pulled a face as Embry threw a muscled arm across her slim shoulders. "Only for acting purposes, my dear." She purred, shooting Jake an exasperated glance. "Have you told the poor girl nothing?"

Jake shrugged. "She would never have believed me if I told her. I wanted her to see the evidence with her own eyes." He put his arm around Bella's waist as she staggered a little.

"Well hurry up and explain so me and Dee can go back and finish what we started." Embry said meaningfully, glaring at Jake. "Her family will be back soon."

Bella squinted up at Jake, why did he have to be so darn tall? And what was wrong with her eyesight? She couldn't seem to focus properly. She took another swig of her rather refreshing drink when a horrid thought suddenly occurred to her; she choked, spraying her drink over Jake's t-shirt. "Are you all in a poly…poly…thing? Are you?" She hit Jake on the chest with her empty glass, swaying a little as she did so. "Well I won't have it. I know yer bruvver's, pack bruvver's…but no to that." She swivelled around to face Deanna. "You can't 'ave 'em all." She held up three fingers. "Only one."

Deanna laughed again. "She is rather fun, Jake. I can see why you like her. No, sweetheart. Now focus." She laughed again as Bella staggered.

Jake had whipped off his wet t-shirt. Bella got an eyeful of his chest and she stared at him, her mouth open. This was all too surreal. She was dreaming. She pinched her arm and winced at the sharp pain. No, it was real. "I need another drink." Bella wobbled over to the little drink's cabinet and sploshed a large amount of something into a glass.

"She's plastered, dude." Embry whispered.

"Blame Dee." Jake took the glass out of Bella's hand before she could drink it. She actually growled at him, which caused Deanna and Embry to laugh. Jake sighed and turned Bella to face him. He held the tops of her arms and leaned down so he could look her directly in the eyes. "Listen, Bells. Dee isn't my fiancée; she is actually engaged to Embry."

"Embry?"

"Yes, Embry." Jake continued. "Dee's family are what could be called social climbers around here. They tend to look down on anyone who isn't up to their so called standards. Embry and Dee started dating secretly months ago, but she knew that they wouldn't accept him. One day she decided enough was enough and she brought Embry home with her, meaning to announce they were together. I happened to tag along for back up, but as soon as her parents saw me they got the wrong end of the stick. They know I am the chief's son and were delighted that their daughter had landed me."

"Yeah, Jakey boy here is the crown prince of La Push." Deanna sneered.

Jake ignored her sarcasm. "Anyway none of us could get a word in edgeways to correct the situation. All we could do was escape. Unfortunately, Dee's father called mine at once to celebrate the good news, and our fake engagement was born. Billy wouldn't believe me when I told him he was wrong, he was glad that I had finally decided to settle down instead of playing the field."

"Field?" Bella slurred.

"Never mind. Anyway to escape the fuss and my problems with Sam I headed off to L.A." Jake peered closer into Bella's brown eyes trying to see if she was taking any of this in. "Get it?"

"Got it?" Bella saluted him, nearly poking his eye out at the same time. "Can I have another driwnk?" She asked with a smile.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	10. Chapter 10

**Quirk of Fate **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews. Nikki **_

**Part Nine-Seeking Forgiveness**

"What's wrong with Mommy, Grandpa?" Shannon asked as she pressed her face against the window, flattening her nose as she tried to get a better view. Her mommy was walking very oddly, she kept staggering, than laughing as she leaned against Jake, then she would sway a little bit more, not walking in a straight line. Behind her and Jake was Embry, his arm around a woman Shannon didn't know. "Who's that lady?"

Charlie came up beside his granddaughter and peered out. He was still wearing the flower garlands around his neck and the crown that Shannon had made for him. They had been alerted to the sound of Bella and the others by a car pulling up in the drive, and had come inside to investigate. Charlie watched his daughter's odd behaviour and frowned. Anyone would think she was drunk, but she had only been gone a couple of hours, and the tall, curvy lady that was holding onto Embry Call's arm seemed just as inebriated. Charlie pulled Shannon away from the window. "You go and sit in the living room while I greet mommy, okay?" He steered Shannon toward the other room as he hurried to answer the door.

Bella was giggling like a loon as she staggered up the steps. She saw her father and put a finger over her lips as she turned to look at Deanna behind her. "Hush; there is a cop in the house." Deanna laughed hysterically along with Bella and the two women collapsed against each other. Jake sighed and shot Charlie a sheepish glance as the older man crossed his arms and glared at them.

"How the hell did this happen?" Charlie demanded irritably. His guess was right, Bella was drunk, extremely drunk and so was her female companion. You could smell the booze on them. He didn't think he had ever seen Bella drink before, only one glass of champagne at her wedding reception.

"I'm so sorry, Charlie." Jake apologised as he picked Bella up and steered her into the house. Embry did the same with Deanna, both women protested loudly, demanding that they unhand them at once and pass them something to drink.

"Well this has ruined my day." Embry hissed at Jake once they were inside. "I was all worked up and you…."

"Shut it." Jake grimaced. "I don't want to know the gory details. Ugh."

"SHANNON." Bella called loudly to her daughter, flinging her arms open wide as her daughter came running to meet her. "Oh, there's my little baby." She crooned as she fell to her knees and hugged Shannon tightly. "Come and meet my new bestie, her name is Dee. Dee meet baby."

"Hello baby." Deanna held out her hand and shook Shannon's formally. "My name is Dee short for Deanna.

"Hello." Shannon said with interest. This woman was pretty, not as pretty as her mommy, but she had a nice smile. "My name is baby short for Shannon."

"Nice to meet you baby short for Shannon." Deanna kept shaking her hand until Embry pulled her away.

While all this was going on Charlie pulled Jake to one side and demanded an explanation. Jake hurriedly explained what had happened, leaving out the fake engagement part. They were interrupted by Deanna, who tapped Charlie on the shoulder, startling him, and making him twist around to face her. "Are you one of those old hippies?" She asked, staring blearily at the flowers hung around his neck and the crown on his head. "Aloha." She smiled and took his hands, beginning to sway from side to side with him.

Shannon giggled and took Bella's hands and began to copy her. "This is fun, mommy." She cried.

"Yes, fun." Bella laughed as she stumbled around in a circle with her daughter.

Jake and Embry exchanged a bemused look. Charlie seemed dazed as he whirled around with Deanna. "This is weird, dude." Embry muttered. "Your woman is a bad influence on mine."

"My woman? It's Dee who got Bella pissed." Jake whispered fiercely. "Why did you have to bring Dee back here anyway?"

"Her family were due home. I couldn't leave her there, who knows what she might have said? You never know what Dee is going to say when she's sober, like this, I dread to think." Embry winced at the thought.

Charlie finally disentangled himself from Deanna's tight grip and stepped back, taking a deep breath to control himself. He had no idea what the hell was going on. Bella and Shannon had stopped dancing now, Deanna was huddled with them in a group and they were whispering together. Eventually Bella left them and re-joined the men. She peered up at Jake, a serene smile on her face. "I tol' Dee you have the best six pack." She patted his flat stomach affectionately. "But she doesn't believe me. So let's see." She began to lift up his t-shirt.

Deanna had stumbled over to Embry. She mumbled the same words to him and began to tug at his shirt. Embry had to restrain her much to Deanna's irritation. Bella was having the same problem with Jake, and the two women began to complain vociferously.

Shannon stood in front of a perplexed Charlie and beamed at him. "Do you have one, Grandpa?" She asked.

"Have what?" He gazed down into her innocent blue eyes and waited.

"A six pack." Shannon poked his belly with her finger. "Mommy says you eat too much for six of them."

"Your mommy doesn't know what she's saying right now." Charlie prodded his stomach. He wasn't in the least bit fat. What a cheek? He was over forty for goodness sake; he was very fit for his age. He suddenly realised what he was doing. He took Shannon's hand and glared at the others. "Will you please get those two under control? Shannon shouldn't be listening to stuff like this."

"Can I have a six pack too, mommy?" Shannon interjected.

Bella whirled round and frowned at Shannon. "No six packs for you, not until you are at least fifty." She wagged a finger at Shannon as she lectured her.

"Pity you don't take your own advice, Isabella." Charlie said stiffly, using her full name, a sign he was not happy with her at all. He tugged Shannon after him and went back outside, leaving Jake and Embry to deal with Bella and Deanna.

* * *

Banging, lots of banging, sore, her throat was sore. Bella opened her eyes a crack and regretted it. The banging increased in volume, made worse when her daughter jumped on the bed beside her and trilled loudly "Morning, mommy."

The jackhammer's in Bella's head made her hiss in pain. She tried to answer Shannon and beg her to be quiet, but the sandpaper in her throat wouldn't allow her to respond. Suddenly the curtains were swept open and light flooded the room, burning her eyes. Bella groaned and rolled on her side, trying to escape the torture. "Feeling a little under the weather, kiddo?" Charlie's voice was unsympathetic.

"Yes." Bella whispered hoarsely. "Terrible."

"Poor mommy." Shannon said in her too loud voice. She rubbed Bella's forehead pretending to be a nurse. Her touch was a little rough, increasing Bella's agony.

"That'll teach you not to drink too much." Charlie slammed a glass of water down beside his daughter and picked Shannon up. "Drink that, you're probably dehydrated."

"Bye, mommy." Shannon waved at Bella as Charlie abruptly left the room, carrying his granddaughter in his arms.

"Bye, baby." Bella rasped as she struggled to sit upright. Oh no, that had been a bad, bad move. Nausea welled up in Bella's throat, and with the jackhammer's drilling into her skull, and the floor swaying under her feet, she stumbled to the bathroom and threw up.

* * *

"How's Bella?" Paul laughed, irritating Jake further. It hadn't taken Embry long to inform the whole damn pack about Bella's little drunken episode.

"I couldn't see her this morning. Charlie's pissed and wouldn't let me near her. Calls me a bad influence me. As if I could ever control Bella?" He grumbled.

"That's true." Paul mused as they sprinted side by side through the trees. They were both on the early morning patrol. Now the storm had passed for good, the weather had turned a bit finer, and they were enjoying the gentle breeze ruffling their fur as they ran. "Rachel is as uncontrollable as ever. Never listens to a word I say."

"That's because you never have anything interesting to_ say_." Jake laughed; the sound echoing through the pack mind. Paul increased his pace as Jake suddenly lunged forward, trying to escape the wrath of his pack brother as Paul gave chase.

* * *

It was a quiet patrol for which Jake was thankful. After all the stress with the attack on Shannon and Bella, it felt good to be able to relax. That didn't mean they shouldn't all remain vigilant. The pack as a whole was still fractured, an uneasy truce had been established between Jake and Sam, but effectively they were still running as two packs. Jared and Quil had remained loyal to Sam, while the others had gravitated to Jake. Now that Shannon had recovered, Sam had begun to try and exert his control again. The lesson had still not sunk in and Jake knew that someday soon, he would have to face Uley down and show him that there could be only one Alpha. But that day was not today, Jake had something else to face, Billy.

Paul had shown him how upset his dad still was. Even though Shannon had made a full recovery, unlike Sam Billy couldn't forgive himself. Rachel reported that Billy was having bad dreams. He would wake in the night, his body coated in sweat as he relived the horrific attack on Bella and Shannon, and his part in it. He told his daughter he kept trying to change the outcome in his nightmares, but the same scenario played out each time. He would banish Bella and Shannon, and this time there was no happy ending. It was taking its toll on his health as he couldn't sleep. Rachel felt it was time Jake intervened and spoke to his father.

Jake pushed his resentment to one side. He loved his father, and it hurt him to see Billy so careworn. Jake had suffered enough nightmares himself after Bella's departure and he wouldn't wish them on anyone. He knew his father had been thinking of his welfare when he pushed Bella away, it was no excuse, but understandable all the same. So after his patrol ended, he left for La Push with Paul so he could visit Billy.

* * *

Billy was astonished to see his son stride through the front door with Paul at his side. Rachel immediately went over to her brother and hugged him gratefully. She then left the room with Paul to give Jake and Billy some modicum of privacy. Billy rolled his chair forward so he was in front of his son. His eyes were moist as he tried to hold back his tears. He felt old and emotionally fragile. The enormity of what he had done haunted him every minute of the day. That poor innocent girl could right now be dead, if it wasn't for some miracle, she would be lying cold in a grave, all because of his stubbornness and refusal to help an innocent in need.

"No words can express how sorry I am, Jake." Billy held out his hands, they trembled a little as Jake hesitated before taking them. "I am a foolish old man. Bella came here seeking sanctuary for her daughter, and I let my feelings blind me to the truth. It is by a quirk of fate that Shannon survived. If she hadn't…" He lowered his head, the tears spilling down his weathered cheeks. "I can't live with myself, Jake. I am a wicked man."

Jake sighed heavily as he hunkered down so he was on his father's level. "No, you are none of those things. You were looking out for me, I get it. But I am a grown man and I can handle myself. You can't control what happens in my life, or who I love for that matter. But I don't want you taking the blame for all of this on your shoulders. We all made mistakes. Shannon is well and thriving." He assured him.

Billy raised his head and looked Jake directly in his eyes. "I need to apologise to Bella myself. I need to see the little girl and tell her how sorry I am. And Charlie…I have so much to say to him, to them all. Will you take me to them?" He pleaded.

Jake studied his father for a moment, wondering whether this was a good idea. Charlie was still pretty angry, Bella would conceal her anger, but still Billy might sense it. He could see how emotionally fragile Billy was and he was anxious that Charlie especially might reject him. What would that do?

As if he could sense what Jake was thinking Billy put a hand on Jake's shoulder. "I can bear it, son. Whatever Charlie or Bella do or say I can take it. But I must have a chance to apologise. Please take me to them? I beg you."

Jake remained silent for a long moment until he eventually nodded. "Okay, if that's what you want."

"It is." Billy stated firmly. "It is."

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	11. Chapter 11

**Quirk of Fate **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews. Nikki **_

**Part Ten-Painful Truths**

Charlie and Bella sat opposite Billy. Neither of them said anything, waiting for the other man to begin speaking first. Jake had taken Shannon out for a while so they could have some privacy, Bella didn't want her daughter overhearing bits and pieces about the attack by Jane and the others. Shannon had limited memories of what had happened that day and Bella wanted to keep it that way. It took a while for Billy to find the right words to tell them how sorry he was. He looked imploringly at his old friend for understanding but found none. Charlie was not going to make this easy on him, and rightly so.

"I can't find the right words to tell you how sorry I am for what happened." Billy began. He saw Charlie stiffen; Bella reached out for her father's hand and squeezed it gently. Her skin had paled and she looked a little under the weather, he wasn't aware that Bella was still suffering the aftereffects of her hangover and he put it down to her ambivalence at his presence. "I wish that I had never let my stubbornness and hurt pride get in the way of my good judgement. Jake reminded me today that he is a man and can make decisions for himself, and he is right. When you left to get married, Bella, and after seeing how this affected Jake, I just couldn't find it in my heart to forgive you. "

"I never wanted to hurt Jake…I…" Bella put her hand on her chest and tried to stifle her tears as she was plunged back into the past.

"I know that." Billy paused for a second, he wasn't saying things right, but he forged ahead anyway. They deserved an explanation for his behaviour. "I know you were in a difficult position, it was just very hard for me to understand how you could love a cold one and reject my son. Jake loved you so very much, so much more than a kid his age was want to do. What you two shared was beyond what I've ever seen, the connection you had, to see you walk away and essentially abandon him when he needed you the most, when he had nearly died protecting you, it stung, it really did, and made me feel bitter and angry."

"I wish I could explain my decision to you." Bella cried out. "I assure you it was agony walking away from Jake. It really was, because I did love him, I told him so, but there was something pulling me to Edward, I wish I could put it into words how he affected me, what being with him did to my mind." Tears began to flow down her face as she tried to understand her own past actions. Now what she had done seemed unthinkable, but back then being immortal and being with Edward for eternity was the one thing she seemed to crave.

"You don't have to explain, kiddo." Charlie said gently as he put his arm around her. "Not if it distresses you this much."

"But I do." Bella whispered; her voice full of pain and regret. "I need to explain to you." She squeezed his hand again. "And to Billy. He's right, the choices I made hurt all those I loved. I was selfish, Edward once described me as his drug, but I think it was more the other way around. Did I really love him? Or was I addicted to him? I fell apart when he left. I was like an addict going through an intense withdrawal. I couldn't function without him there to make me dance. He had become my whole world. I know I pushed you away, dad." More tears rolled down her face, Bella's head was aching not just from her hangover but the heavy guilt that she had been carrying like a burden for so many years.

"It's okay, kiddo." Charlie hugged her again as she rested her head on his shoulder. Billy looked grave; his dark eyes were moist as if he too was trying not to cry.

"Jake was my anchor during that dark time of my life. He pulled me back from the brink, and when I was on the cusp of recovery, Edward slammed back into my life and once again I was lost. My drug was back and I was still too weak to fight against it, even though Jake did his best to save me. The problem was he couldn't save me. I had to do that myself. It was only as I matured that I began to realise what forever meant, what love meant. By then it was too late and I felt I had burned my bridges as far as coming home was concerned. Then Shannon was born…" Bella wiped her tears away with the back of her hand as she looked directly at Billy. "So I'm sorry too. I'm sorry for making you carry the burden of anxiety over what I did to Jake. I understand why you made the decision that you did. Part of me still resents you for not putting the needs of an innocent little girl before your own feelings, but I forgive you, and in time my resentment will go, as I hope your resentment toward me will fade."

"Thank you, Bella." Billy choked out; he finally let his tears fall from his eyes. "Charlie?" He said falteringly. Thus far his best friend had not spoken to him directly.

Charlie's lips thinned. He didn't reply for a long time but when he did his answer was brief. "We have been friends since childhood and I always thought that the one person who would never lie to me was you. I'm sorry Billy. I want to say great, everything's fixed, but right now I can't. I am still too fucking angry at your betrayal. You put tribal politics before our long-time friendship. My daughter's life and emotional wellbeing was at stake and you never told me the truth. If I had known then perhaps I could have saved her. I'm not ready to forgive you yet, maybe one day, but not yet."

Billy felt a lump come up into his throat. Charlie's response was about what he expected, although it didn't mean that it hurt any less. At least Charlie had given him the chance to apologise, and he was thankful for that. "I understand." He replied huskily. "When you feel ready to see me, I'll be here."

Charlie nodded; there was nothing left to say.

* * *

Shannon chattered happily as she skipped along at Jake's side. First of all he took her to the diner and bought Shannon some fries and a burger for himself. They strolled along eating their food, Shannon giggling when he got ketchup down his chin. "You're messy."

"That's me." Jake had ruffled her hair as he began to point out the different buildings that they passed and the history behind them. Shannon asked him some pertinent questions about his own heritage. It was at times like these that she seemed older than her years. Some of his answers were overcomplicated but she seemed to understand what he was trying to say.

"I wish I had friends." She said eventually, taking him completely by surprise.

"You have friends." Jake hunkered down in front of her, Shannon looked sad; her eyes were far away as she shook her head. "You have me, Rachel, Paul, your Granddad and your mommy."

"No, I mean friends my age." Shannon said wistfully. She was gazing over his shoulder. Jake turned around to see a young family walking toward the diner. A four year old girl, with brown pigtails was holding onto her mother's hand. "Like that."

"I see." Jake turned back to her. "You will one day, Shan. I promise. You're settled now, which means you'll be able to make friends with girls like her." He smiled at her to try and charm her back into cheerfulness, but it didn't work.

"No, they'll think I'm weird." Shannon hung her head. "I am weird. I sense things, and when I talk about them, they pull faces."

"But you haven't been around other young kids your age. How do you know how they would react?" Jake asked gently.

"Yes I have." Shannon picked at a speck of dirt on her jeans and scuffed her shoes on the floor. "When we lived in Seetle, mommy had a man friend and his daughter didn' like me. She called me weirdo and a liar and pulled my hair cos I told her I could see things." Her words came out in a rush, and tears pooled in her eyes at the memory.

Jake was taken aback. Bella had a man friend in Seattle? That had to mean boyfriend. She had mentioned briefly when they had first reconnected that she had been living in Seattle, that was where she had been heading back to before he persuaded her to come to La Push. But not once had she mentioned having a male friend or whatever he was. He had just assumed she had remained single the whole time. Then something else occurred to him, an innocent phrase Shannon had said _'I like this one,' _when she was referring to him. How many had there been? His stomach churned and he had to force himself to remain focused as Shannon was still upset.

"Hey, that girl sounds spiteful and jealous. Just try and put her out of your mind. You're not weird; you're just fine as you are, okay." Jake put his hands on her shoulders and smiled encouragingly. "You will meet some other girls or boys your age and they'll love you."

"Really?" Shannon said doubtfully.

"Really." Jake replied firmly. He stood back up and reached for Shannon's hand. It was time they were getting back. His head was full of what he had learned and he wished he could get the idea of Bella with another man, a human man, out of his head. He hadn't been good enough all those years ago for her to toss the bloodsucker to one side, but she had seemingly got over this if she had managed a relationship with another in the intervening years. Jealousy mixed with hurt took hold of his heart and it only grew the closer they got to the Swan house.

* * *

Jake collected his father, he was glad to see that though Billy still looked a little sad, he also seemed calmer. Issues had been aired and although there was still hurt on both sides, it appeared that a resolution would come with a little more time. Shannon was happy to be home; she flung herself into Bella's welcoming arms and hugged her.

"I missed you, mommy."

"Missed you too, baby." Bella kissed the top of her head before smiling gratefully at Jake. But he seemed to avoid her eyes. Instead he nodded curtly and began to push his dad's chair toward the front door. Bella frowned, what was wrong with him? "Um…see you later then?" She questioned worriedly. He was still avoiding her eyes and was instead focusing solely on Billy, his shoulders were tense and she knew him well enough to know when he was stewing on something. She wished she knew what she had done to upset him. Was it because of Billy? She thought she had tried to explain her actions the best way she could. He had been fine earlier.

"I'll call you." Was all he said as he helped his dad into the car and then drove away without looking back.

He didn't call.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	12. Chapter 12

**Quirk of Fate**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thanks for the kind reviews, Nikki **_

**Part Eleven-The Consequences of Silence**

"I'm sorry Bella." Billy said apologetically. "Jake isn't here right now, but I'll let him know you called." He felt awful for lying to her, he knew that Bella was quite aware that his son was in the house. He shot Jake a glare as he waited for Bella to respond.

"I see." Bella replied eventually. She hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Tell him…um, tell him I get it. I won't ring again. I wish you both well. Goodbye Billy." She ended the call.

Billy stared at the phone, the dial tone sounded loud to even his ears. He turned and looked at Jake; his son had heard every word that Bella had said. His face registered his hurt as if he hadn't expected her to give up so easily. It had been five days since they had left the Swan's and each day Bella had called, sometimes up to three times a day. Jake had stubbornly refused to speak to her, avoiding his dad's questions when he demanded to know why he was being forced to lie for him. "What else did you expect?" Billy snapped as he slammed the phone back in its cradle.

Jake sat down on the old couch and stared at his hands. "I thought she would try harder."

"Try harder to what?" Billy rolled his chair over to his son so he was facing Jake. "What happened between you? I have no idea why you are acting like this. What has she done?"

Jake's hands were shaking a little; he raised his head and finally met his dad's eyes. Billy gasped at the devastation shining in them; he hadn't seen Jake look this way for years, not since Bella had left the first time to get married to Cullen. It scared him to see his son retreat back into that dark space. "Talk to me, Jake." He pleaded. "What is Bella supposed to have done?"

"She didn't choose me." Jake whispered. "After everything she didn't come back to me, she…" He stopped speaking and put his head in his hands. What he was feeling was irrational, and voicing it aloud made him sound like such a chauvinist, but it wasn't about the fact that Bella had been with another man, it was the fact that she had pushed him aside, he was human, and she had professed to love him, but she had passed him over for his mortal enemy, only to now realise she had given herself to another man, a human man. Why hadn't she come home to him? He would have protected her, kept her and Shannon safe. She had been on the run, he understood that, but she had to have known he would have given up his life on the reservation and gone with her if she wanted to keep running. His heart ached at the thought that she hadn't thought of him when she craved human comfort. All she had to do was pick up the phone, and he would have come. Why had she sought it from someone else? A stranger?

"Jake, talk to me." Billy begged again.

Jake stood up, he needed some fresh air. Bella's words resounded in his head like a death knell. Unlike the first time he had to stay away from her when he turned wolf and she had fought to see him again, this time she had simply given up. It hurt that she wasn't fighting harder. He was always the one who had to chase after her. He had thought he had forgiven her past actions, but finding out about this had dredged up all his old insecurities and resentment. He wished he could get past it, but it was eating away at him like an old sore. The scab would form and then he would pick it at until it was bleeding again. "I'm going for a run." He muttered to his father as he tore out of the house, flinging his clothes to one side as he phased into his wolf form and headed for the trees.

* * *

"Mommy?" Shannon's voice sounded worried. "Are you sad?"

Bella raised her head and forced a smile onto her face as she discreetly wiped away her tears. "No, baby, I'm fine."

Shannon's tiny face still looked anxious. She reached out and touched a tear that escaped Bella's notice. She held it on the end if her finger and they both watched as it sat there, the small droplet of liquid sparkling in the light until it fell from Shannon's fingertip. "I'm scared, mommy." She whispered.

Her daughter's words made Bella feel guilty. She wished she had been able to stop herself from crying after the phone call to Billy, but Jake's unexpected rejection had thrown her through a loop. She hadn't seen it coming, so hadn't been able to prepare herself emotionally for the impact. She'd had to rely on herself for so long, that it had been freeing to have Jake back in her corner like he used to be. They had fallen back in to their easy friendship; he didn't seem to blame her for her past actions and the way things had been left between them. But like always she had misread the situation, and perhaps so had he. His declaration to her only the other day had come as a welcome surprise, but he must now be sincerely regretting his words. Perhaps when he had expressed his feelings he had been caught up in their shared past, just like she had. Being separated for five years was bound to have changed them both irrevocably. Their lives had gone in different directions. Being thrown together again so abruptly because of her fraught circumstances had brought up his old protective feelings toward her, that's what Jake did, he protected people. Now though she was safe, and he must have realised that he didn't care to have her in his life as he had previously thought. Now she was upsetting and scaring Shannon because she was unable to conceal her own devastation.

"Don't be scared, baby." Bella held her trembling daughter in her arms. "Everything is fine, I promise."

"We're not gonna leave again?" Shannon checked fearfully as her thin arms encircled her mother's neck. "I wanna live with Granddad."

"No we're here to stay." Bella pulled back a little and placed her hands on Shannon's face, leaning in to kiss her forehead. "No more running."

Shannon smiled in relief. "I like it here with Granddad, Jake, Rachel and Paul." She listed the names of those she had come to think of as family.

Bella had to hug her daughter tightly against her as she hid the fresh tears that welled in her eyes. Jake was gone from their lives, and so effectively were the others. They were on their own again; Charlie was all they had now. Bella didn't have the heart to say anything to Shannon right then, instead she decided to try and let her daughter know subtly over the next few days that life now included only the three of them.

* * *

"You're an ass." Paul spat as he caught up with Jake. He had heard everything that was going through his leader's head as soon as he phased in. Billy had called Rachel and begged her to get Paul to check on Jake. "You've got everything you wanted right in front of you, and because of your stupid pride you're willing to chuck it all away."

"You have no idea, so stay out of it." Jake snarled. "Can't I run in peace?"

"Excuse us all for worrying about you? Wallow in your misery, you're a fool." Paul retorted harshly. He felt no sympathy for Jake; he couldn't understand why he was allowing the past to encroach on his future. If it was up to him he would kick his Alpha's ass, but he wasn't likely to win against Jake anymore, and he didn't fancy facing Rachel with a body full of cut and bruises when he was meant to have been shoring up Jake's feelings.

"Fuck off, Paul." Jake snapped his jaws at his pack brother angrily. Paul swerved easily and avoided Jake's sharp teeth.

"Gladly." Paul was done babying Jake. "If you lose everything, then you only have yourself to blame." He ran off and phased back into his human form so he could block out the tirade of abuse from his Alpha.

* * *

Charlie came home from work to find Bella sitting in front of his laptop, checking the local job vacancies. He unclipped his gun belt and hung it up before greeting his daughter. "Where's Shannon?" He asked as he pulled up a chair.

"Asleep. She wore herself out today. I took her on a long walk and showed her my old school." Bella smiled at him before turning her attention to the computer.

"She'll be starting school herself soon. I take it you're going to enrol her?" Charlie's voice was cautious. He couldn't fail to notice Jake's absence and he was scared that Bella was thinking of moving on again.

Bella knew what he was thinking; she could read her dad so well now. She reached out and laid her hand over his for a moment. "I'm not planning on going anywhere." She assured him. "If you don't mind I'd like to stay on here. I'm checking the local vacancies right now to find a job."

A relieved smile broke out across Charlie's face, he looked so much younger when he smiled, and it smoothed out the worry lines on his face. He squeezed her hand. "I'm glad you want to stay. This is your home for as long as you need it. I've missed you, kiddo." Unaccustomed moisture welled up in his eyes and he fought to keep the tears from falling.

Bella tore her eyes from his. She knew it would embarrass them both to show too much emotion. She began to give him a rundown of what she had found so far and asked if he had any suggestions. Charlie came and sat beside her and they both pored over the options. Most of it was waitressing jobs, Newton's was advertising again, but Bella thought that would be stepping too far back into the past. She sighed; she had never managed to finish her college education as she had to bail when she went on the run. Her choices were limited for the foreseeable future. She hoped to do an on-line course at some point, but right now it looked like she would have to apply for the waitressing job in the diner. At least it was very local, and she could juggle her shifts around Charlie. She would need his help to look after Shannon while she was at work. Bella typed up a quick C.V. and decided to take a stroll over to the diner and speak to the manager. Charlie promised to keep an eye on Shannon while she was gone.

* * *

Jake hadn't realised he had travelled toward Forks, but then again why should he be surprised. He could vow to himself over and over to stay away from Bella, but he couldn't help himself. He paced up and down near the Swan house for a long time, trying to build up the courage to talk to her. He both wanted to know but didn't at the same time. But try as he might he couldn't get his feet to move. Instead he settled down to wait, night drew in and a light rain fell, soaking his fur. He felt the others phase in, but they kept silent and left him alone when he ordered them to. It didn't stop him feeling Embry's impatience with him; Dee had obviously been chewing his ear off about the situation. Anybody would think that Embry had imprinted on the damn woman, he couldn't keep anything from her. It was none of her business, nor Rachel's, Paul's or his dad's. This was between him and Bella. He felt another surge of irritation come his way from the pack, they were all fed up with his wallowing and resentful he had commanded them all to be silent. Jake phased back to his human form to get them out of his head. Pulling on his shorts he wandered out of the woods and onto the main road.

He strolled along, his mind full of Bella. Shannon's words kept resounding in his head, tormenting him. He felt so miserable and unhappy. Why couldn't he get past his resentment? His jealousy and hurt continued to chaff away at him, he began to wish he could get out of his own head. That insistent nagging voice just wouldn't leave him alone. Why couldn't Bella have just come to him? Why? Why did he always feel second best? Why couldn't he just trust? The light spilling from the diner attracted his attention; it had been hours since he had eaten. He had some change in his pocket; there should be enough for a burger. Jake walked over to the diner and began to climb the steps. His hand was on the handle when he froze before he opened the door. He could see Bella. She was standing at the checkout, talking with a dark haired young man. The man said something to her and she laughed, her hand reaching up to push a lock of her shiny brown hair behind her ear. It was a familiar gesture that made his heart ache. Her smile was bright; there was no trace of unhappiness or worry anywhere on her beautiful face. She wasn't missing him at all. It looked as if she was already flirting with someone else.

Jake had to prise his fingers off the door handle. His heart was breaking and his mind was racing. He wanted to escape, he wanted to phase, but he couldn't not with the pack being able to see inside his head. He didn't want them witnessing his torment. He longed to feel numb; he needed someone to ease the pain. Jake found himself running, and running fast, back to the reservation, in search of someone who did want him. There were plenty of girls who wanted him. Girls who thought he was enough, unlike Bella Swan.

_**A/N-thank you for reading! **_


	13. Chapter 13

**Quirk of Fate **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the awesome reviews, Nikki **_

**Part Twelve-Jumping Off the Cliff**

Jake sat on the edge of the cliff, his long legs dangling precariously over the roiling sea below him. The grey water was as angry as he felt inside as it surged against the craggy rocks, spraying up huge plumes of white foam before receding and starting all over again. It was a vicious cycle just like his life. This was the same cliff where Bella had jumped all those years ago, nearly killing herself, until he had rescued her, brought her back to life. But she had still left him for the leech anyway. His thoughts were full of bitterness as he reflected on the past. How often had he put himself out there for her, laid his heart out on a platter, only for her to crush it?

He twisted around when he heard the sound of someone coming toward him on silent feet. If it wasn't for his enhanced hearing he wouldn't have detected them against the sound of the waves and the whistling wind. He knew who it was, the familiar scent of his pack brother, and best friend Embry Call wafted his way. Jake sighed heavily and turned to look out at the darkened horizon as Embry came to sit beside him. "Guessed you'd be here."

"That predictable am I?" Jake muttered. He felt Embry press something into his hand, it was a bottle of Jack Daniels. "What the fuck is this?"

"Your eyesight fading as well, bro?" Embry rolled his eyes. "It's from Dee."

"Have you been spilling your guts out to her again?" Jake snapped irritably. "What is the point of this anyway? I can't get wasted, another thing this damn wolf metabolism won't let me do."

"It's tradition, just go with it." Embry pulled out another bottle for himself. "It's easier to open up with a drink in your hand, according to Dee. She sends her love to your sorry ass anyway." He opened the bottle and took a long drink.

Jake watched his friend for a moment before doing the same. They both sat in silence for a long while, taking occasional swigs from the bottles. Embry was the first to speak. "You can't keep doing this, Jake. You're going to drag yourself down like before, and none of us want to see you revisit that dark place when Bella first left. She's back now, why are you torturing yourself with what ifs?"

"You know nothing about my life. It's just shit, all of it." Jake took another long drink as he continued to stare out at the wild ocean. The wind whipped his hair and rain began to fall, creating a light mist.

"Like mine has been so fucking great." Embry retorted, getting impatient with Jake's self-absorption. "You've got a dad who gives a shit; you had a mom who loved you before she was taken from you. You have a sister who worries about you. What did I have before Dee came into my life, huh? A mom who drank herself into a stupor every night, a parade of assholes she brought home, and no fucking idea who my real dad is. "

Jake flinched as he glanced at his friend. He had never heard Embry speak about his life in such bleak terms before and his words hit Jake right in the gut. He swallowed thickly, shame washing over him as he tried to pull himself out of the funk he had created. "You're right, I'm sorry."

Embry took another long drink, his eyes still showing his anger at Jake's selfishness. He really had nothing to complain about anymore. Embry had managed to get past his own rotten upbringing, holding onto old hurts only ever dragged you down, and he knew that. Jake could have all he ever wanted if he just got his shit together and stopped harking back to the past. It was dead and gone now, move on. But Embry didn't put it that bluntly. Jake wouldn't want to hear it. He was still feeling raw; the whole pack had been witness to his despair earlier that day. Embry had gone to see Dee and asked for her advice as none of them had been able to get through to Jake. In her usual blunt style Dee had told him to find Jake and give him a kick up the ass, or in other words force Jake to talk. It had taken a while for Embry to track his friend down, but something told him that he would find Jake at the cliff where Bella had jumped.

"You have to let go of the past, Jake." Embry said as he put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I just don't know if I can." Jake's face was tortured as he took another drink from his bottle. "I nearly went to see Grace." He confessed.

Embry drew in a sharp breath. "Dude, don't go back there. That witch is trouble. Look what she tried to pull on you before, lying about being pregnant. You were lucky to get out of her clutches."

"At least she wanted me." Jake replied bitterly. "Unlike Bella."

"Do you love, Bella?" Embry demanded.

"Of course I do, she's the only one I've ever loved." Jake closed his eyes as the rain began to fall harder. He felt as if the heavens were crying for him. He pictured Bella in his head as he had last seen her, smiling and talking to the dark haired guy in the diner. She had a natural beauty that she was totally unaware of. It hurt his heart to see her smiling and laughing with another, his jealousy was making him as controlling as Cullen had been. He couldn't fail to see the parallels. He didn't want to be that way, but he really needed her to step up and show him that he meant something to her, not just someone who was there to shore her up when she needed help, only to be discarded afterwards. He turned to face Embry again. "I tried to imprint on her once you know, when I first told her about it. I stared into her eyes for ages trying to will it to happen, but nothing."

"You want to imprint now?" Embry shuddered at the very idea. The thought of being a slave to someone he barely knew for the rest of his life sickened him. He had seen the effect it had on Quil, Jared and Sam. He had forced imprinting from his mind, he couldn't lose Dee, and somehow he knew it was not going to happen to him.

"No way, not unless it was with Bella." Jake sighed again as he finished his bottle of Jack Daniels. "Damn." He cursed as he looked at the empty bottle.

"Look Jake, it comes down to one thing, taking a risk. I took one with Dee. I never thought someone like her could ever love someone like me. I mean what have I got to offer her?"

"You have everything to offer." Jake said fiercely. "It's not all about money or material things. Dee isn't like that."

"Neither is Bella, not from what I can see." Embry stood up and stretched. "Talk to her, Jake. Tell her how you really feel. Take that risk. It's like jumping off this cliff really." He suddenly leapt off the edge, somersaulting midway down before he hit the water below. A small smile crossed Jake's face before he dived off the edge, following his friend into the unknown.

* * *

"I got the job." Bella pulled her jacket off and sat down in front of Charlie. "I start tomorrow night."

"That's great, kiddo." Charlie passed her a mug of coco. "Get that down you."

"Thanks." Bella said gratefully as she put her hands around the warm mug. "Gary says he should be able to work around your work schedule so one of us will always be here for Shannon."

"I'll print off a copy of my shifts and we'll make up a planner." Charlie could see that although Bella was happy about her new job, there was an underlying sadness about her. He guessed it was something to do with Jake's absence. He didn't want to bring it up in case she became upset. In his mind it was best to focus on the positives. "This will be a whole new start, Bells." He assured her.

"Yeah, it will." Bella forced a smile onto her face as she took a sip of her coco. "I'm so glad I came home."

"Me too." Charlie agreed.

* * *

Shannon woke up from a bad dream. Her skin was coated in perspiration. She sat up, her long silvery hair falling about her thin shoulders. She glanced down at her mother. Bella was lying on her front still fast asleep. Shannon was glad that she hadn't disturbed her mother; she sensed Bella's sadness and wanted her to rest. She slipped off of the bed and padded out of the room and down the stairs. It was very dark downstairs and she quickly turned on the light in the kitchen as she fetched herself a glass of water. The dream was still haunting her and it made her shiver. Shannon sipped at her water as she wandered into the living room, heading for her grandfather's recliner. She pulled Charlie's hunting shirt off of the hook and slipped it over her arms. The sleeves fell down to her knees and it looked like a dress on her. Shannon didn't care; it was warm and smelt of her granddad, which made it more comforting. She curled up on the recliner and finished her water.

Tears pooled in Shannon's vivid blue eyes as she tried to force the nightmare from her mind, but the red eyes of the vampires just got bigger in her consciousness. She saw the petite blonde with the horrible sneer staring at her triumphantly as she hauled Shannon up by her hair and shook her. It had hurt, the hair was pulling at Shannon's scalp and she was frightened for her life. Then she was suddenly sailing through the air until she hit the tree and it all went dark. It always went dark. She suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe as panic set in and black spots appeared before her eyes. Shannon closed her eyes and inhaled Charlie's scent, wrapping the old shirt tighter around her. She didn't want to awaken her mother or her grandfather. She had to be brave.

Shannon kept trying to breathe as she fought the horrible images in her head. She had lied to Bella when her mother had gently asked her if she remembered anything about what had happened. Shannon had seen her mother's relieved smile when she thought her daughter didn't recall anything. But Shannon relived the attack every night in her sleep, the images were so clear and she could even feel the cold touch of the female vampire as she grabbed her. Other images swamped her despite her best attempts to dispel them. There were more vampires but she didn't recognise them, although her acute senses told her that they had once been part of her mother's life. They were coming closer, they were not here yet, but Shannon knew it wouldn't be long, and the very thought terrified her. She wanted to tell her mother but panicked it would make Bella want to run again, and Shannon didn't want to go. She wanted to stay, stay where she felt safe.

Shannon stayed curled up on the recliner, her eyes becoming sore from crying silent tears. It was only when the dawn's early light filtered through the curtains that she gathered herself together enough to get up and go back to the room she shared with her mother. She climbed back in the bed, still wearing Charlie's old hunting shirt. Bella unconsciously reached out for her daughter and Shannon nestled against her mother's warm body and closed her eyes, the nightmare already beginning all over again.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Quirk of Fate **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thanks for the kind reviews, Nikki **_

**Part Thirteen-The Muffin Maker**

Bella was exhausted, her feet were aching and her mouth felt sore from the constant smiling. She had just completed her first shift at the diner and it had proved taxing. Being polite to customers, especially when they were rude and obnoxious was hard. She had bitten her tongue on a number of occasions. Thankfully the rude ones were more than outweighed by the kind customers. She had managed to get quite a few tips which she placed in a jar behind the counter with her name on.

"Well done." Gary said in amusement as he rattled the jar filled with coins and notes. "I don't think I've ever seen so much collected on a first night."

Bella smiled tiredly. "It must be my dazzling good looks and awesome serving skills that won them over," She joked lamely as she took the pencil from behind her ear and wound it in her hair instead so she could pull it back into a ponytail.

"You're not wrong there." Gary said meaningfully, shooting her an intense look.

Bella sighed internally. Damn, she hadn't wanted this. She had sensed his attraction to her on the first night they had met, he was a sweet guy, but she just wasn't interested. She just shrugged and turned away from him, pretending she hadn't caught his obvious hint. "Well I better get back to my daughter." She pulled on her jacket, hoping that the reminder that she had a child would put him off. Not many guys wanted to date a girl with a kid in tow.

"Bring her over one day, I'll shout you both a free meal." Gary was still smiling at her as he wiped down the counter.

So he wasn't put off. Bella knew she was going to have to be blunt with him and tell him there was no chance, but tonight she was too worn out. She just wanted to crash. "See you tomorrow night." She waved at him and escaped into the dark night.

As soon as the cold air hit her fevered skin Bella finally felt herself relaxing. She took in a few deep breaths and walked slowly toward home. She wondered if Shannon was still awake, she hoped not. By the dark circles under her daughter's eyes it had been obvious that Shannon had not been sleeping well, although she denied it vociferously when Bella asked her. But the tell-tale sign of Charlie's old hunting shirt wrapped around Shannon every morning showed she had been up in the night. It saddened Bella that her little girl wasn't opening up to her; she was too young to live a life filled with anxiety. Perhaps it was because she had finally understood Bella's not too subtle hints that they would no longer be seeing Jake and his family anymore. Thinking about Jake just brought Bella down and she tried to push him from her mind. She was done trying to work out what she was supposed to have done. He still hadn't been in contact and she knew she was going to have to accept he was gone from her life.

* * *

"You look shattered." Charlie stated the obvious as she flopped on the sofa in the living room.

"I am. Is Shannon asleep?" Bella asked looking around for her daughter.

"Yeah she crashed a while ago." Charlie leaned forward in his recliner, a concerned expression crossing his face. "I'm worried about her. She fell asleep twice today, and both times she was definitely having a nightmare, but when I asked her about it she just shut down."

"I know." Bella replied wearily. "She won't open up to me either. Do you think she's starting to remember what happened that day?" She bit down on her lower lip, hoping that it wasn't the case. Shannon was too young and innocent to have those sorts of horrific memories ingrained in her head. Bella knew the consequences herself, she had suffered and still did suffer horrible nightmares about her time in Volterra, but she was an adult, Shannon was a four year old child. "I don't know what to do."

"We'll work it out." Charlie reached out and patted her hand. "I was thinking about taking her out for the day tomorrow. I can push some of my work back until the weekend. Perhaps a visit to the beach will make her a relax enough to open up."

Bella felt tears prick at her eyes. A rush of affection for her father surged through Bella and she squeezed his hand gratefully. He was such a kind man and a great father. Why hadn't she seen this before? She had always been a blind fool. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Charlie patted her hand again before getting up. Too much emotion only embarrassed them both. "I'll make you a warm drink." He offered as he disappeared into the kitchen.

* * *

Charlie and Shannon left fairly early for the beach, giving Bella a chance to lie in. She snuggled under the warm covers, only the top of her head poking out. A knock at the front door disturbed her rest, jolting her awake. She groaned and opened her eyes a crack. The bright sunlight hurt her eyes and she closed them again. Rolling over she pulled the covers over her head and ignored the visitor. But it seemed they were not going to go away. The knocking continued, driving her crazy. "Assholes." Bella raged as she finally forced her tired limbs to move and get up. She stumbled down the stairs, one hand running through her tangled hair and yawning widely. "I'm coming." She called out irritably when the knocking continued unabated.

Bella opened the door to find Deanna standing on her doorstep. Embry's other half was her usual bright and breezy self. She laughed when she took in the state of Bella in her tank top and sweat pants. "Jeez, you really were still in bed then." Deanna stepped inside not the least bothered that Bella hadn't actually invited her in. "Go and have a shower girl, I'll make you a strong coffee and some brekkie while you're getting ready."

"Huh?" Bella's head felt fuzzy, she closed the front door and followed after Deanna. The other girl was dressed in a pair of denim cut off shorts, showing off her perfect legs. Her long silky hair was pulled up into a messy bun, a few strands left to frame her face. Deanna actually swayed when she walked. The whole effect was intoxicating. Bella could quite see why Embry was captivated by this curvy beauty. Bella felt like a skinny, pale beanpole in comparison. She had no curves at all. "What are you doing here? Did we have plans?" She scratched at her messy bed hair, trying to get her tired brain to function.

"No, but I thought it would be good to catch up. Haven't seen you with Jake the past week or so." Deanna said meaningfully.

Bella winced at the mention of Jake's name. She had been doing her best not to think of him. She certainly didn't want to discuss their current coldness with this girl, however much she liked her. "I've been busy." She mumbled instead. "I've got a job."

"You have?" Deanna asked with interest as she boiled the kettle.

"Yeah, working in the diner." Bella waved her hand vaguely.

"Diner? Cool." Deanna turned away to make some coffee. "You should get in the shower. Breakfast will be waiting when you come down." She ordered.

Bella gave in and just did as the other girl wanted. She was too out of it to question why Deanna would bother with someone like her. She wondered whether Dee even knew about the situation with her and Jake. Perhaps not, maybe Embry never talked about that side of things with his girlfriend. Bella wasn't about to interrogate Deanna about what she knew or didn't know. "Okay, thanks." She padded out of the room and climbed the stairs, leaving the other girl to it.

* * *

Shannon ran across the beach, her little feet leaving footprints in the wet sand. It was a rare sunny day and Charlie had brought along an old bucket and spade that once belonged to Bella. There were a few other families on the beach too. Some of the young ones were paddling in the surf. So far all Shannon wanted to do was collect shells. Charlie had asked if she wanted to play with the other children, there were some her age building sand castles and playing tag. But Shannon shied away from them, instead either running ahead of him in her quest for shells or clinging onto his hand whenever anyone came close.

Charlie finally sat down, he deliberately chose a spot close to a family he knew from the reservation. They had two children, one a teenager, who was sitting a little apart from his family, earbuds pressed firmly in his ears as he drowned out the noises around him with his terrible heavy metal music. Charlie shuddered, how could these teenagers listen to crap like that? The other child was a year older than Shannon. Charlie waved at the family and they returned his greeting. He deliberately asked if it was alright for Shannon to join in building the sandcastle that their son was building. They nodded, gesturing for both Charlie and Shannon to join them.

"Come on, Shan." Charlie stood up, brushing the sand from his jeans. "It will be fun." He could see the worry etched all over her pretty face as she looked over at the boy.

"He won't like me." She whispered sadly.

"He will." Charlie assured her. "I know him, he's a great kid. His name's Joey. Hey Jo." He called the boy over to them. Joey popped his head up and looked over at them with interest. "You don't mind if Shan makes castles with you, do you?"

Joey wrinkled up his nose and squinted as the sun was shining in his eyes. His black hair shone in the sunlight. He reminded Shannon a little of Jake and Paul when he smiled, shrugging as if Charlie's request was no big deal. She kept hold of Charlie's hand as he led her over to the boy and then he left them alone as he went to talk to Joey's parents, discreetly watching Shannon from the corner of his eyes all the while.

Shannon stood awkwardly looking at Joey, unsure of what to do. Finally he glanced her way again. "You dig there." He pointed at a groove he had made in the sand.

"There." Shannon echoed him as she edged closer and sank down onto her knees beside him.

"Yes, there." Joey pointed at the same spot and began to dig in the sand again.

Shannon took up her own spade and began to dig too. So far Joey hadn't called her weird or looked at her oddly. Slowly she began to relax around him and the bad dreams that had been haunting her for days receded into the background as she found something else to concentrate her mind on. Charlie smiled in relief when he saw her playing next to the boy. He settled down on the sand and continued to talk to Joey's parents.

* * *

Deanna rolled her eyes when she saw what Bella was wearing. "Jeez, girl, go back and put some shorts on or something. For once it's hot out there. Perhaps we can get some colour on that pale skin of yours?"

Bella glanced at her jeans. "I'm fine wearing these."

"No way." Deanna waved her hand in front of Bella's face. "Go change or do I have to drag you upstairs?" She put her hands on her shapely hips as she glared at Bella.

"Alright. I suppose I have some shorts somewhere." Bella said testily as she stomped up the stairs. Deanna was so feisty. More and more she reminded Bella of Leah before she phased. Turning into a wolf had turned Leah's feistiness into bitchiness. Not her fault of course, she had been through so much crap, losing Sam and her father all in a matter of a few short months. Bella hurriedly changed and came back to show Deanna. "Better?"

"Much." Deanna replied shooting her an approving smile as she linked arms with her. "About time you showed some skin. Off we go."

"Where?" Bella questioned as she tried to keep up with the other girl's long strides.

"It's a secret." Deanna had her car parked outside. It was an open top convertible, much the same as Rosalie Cullen used to drive. It was even the same cherry red. Bella flinched as memories assaulted her. No, she wasn't going to think about the blonde beauty, the last time she had seen Rosalie was on the night they had helped her escape Italy with Shannon in tow. She still didn't know Rosalie's fate or any of the others come to that, but presumed they were dead by now. Aro had ordered them put to death when he learned of Carlisle's betrayal. "Are you getting in or just standing there?" Deanna's voice pulled her out of her reverie. Bella nodded and hurriedly climbed inside the car.

* * *

Deanna pulled up outside her house. She parked haphazardly and climbed gracefully out of the car. Bella sighed heavily. The last place she wanted to be was La Push, but thankfully there was no sign of Jake. She guessed he would be pissed if he found her here on the reservation. He would think she was stalking him. Bella clambered out of the car and followed after Dee who had already opened the door to the large house and headed inside. When Bella entered she found Dee already pouring them both some drinks.

"Not for me. I still haven't recovered from the last time." Bella confessed.

"You're gonna need it, believe me." Deanna shoved the cold glass in her hand. As she did so two tall figures emerged from the kitchen, Bella gasped as she saw Jake. He was standing next to Embry wearing an inscrutable expression. "Right Em and I are heading out for a while. You two damn well talk." Deanna ordered in her usual abrupt way. "Now you know why you need the drink." She whispered to Bella as she took Embry's hand and pulled him after her out of the house.

Bella's hand shook as she took a sip of her drink. Jake had moved a little closer, his dark eyes burned into hers, setting her skin on fire. She took another drink when he came right up in front of her, she could feel the heat from his body radiating to hers. Why didn't he say something? "I didn't know she was bringing me here." She finally broke the tense silence herself, the drink having given her a little courage.

"I asked her to bring you here. We need to talk." Jake replied huskily. His eyes were roaming her body as if he was trying to drink her in. When he reached out to push a lock of her hair behind her ear, she nearly imploded on the spot. "I've missed you."

Bella shivered as she drank the rest of her drink in one quick gulp. "You never answered my calls so I assumed you didn't want to see me." A lick of anger curled in her gut as she spoke. How dare he say he missed her when he had effectively pushed her away?

"I had things to think about." Jake murmured. His fingers had left her hair and were trailing across her cheek, leaving heat trails across her face. "I need to ask you something."

"Go ahead." Bella stood perfectly still, not trusting her limbs to co-operate if she tried to move. She knew she would pitch straight into his warm arms if she made the slightest attempt.

Jake dropped his hand back to his side and stared down into her eyes as if assessing if she was going to tell him the truth. "When you first went on the run with Shannon." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Why didn't you call me for help? I would have come."

Bella felt like he had slapped her. She tore her eyes from his and stared at the empty glass in her hands. "Call you? Are you kidding me?" She muttered angrily.

"Kidding you?" Jake retorted. "I am not fucking joking Bella. Why didn't you call me? I know you haven't been alone the whole time you were on the run."

Bella's head shot up. "What do you mean by that?" She snapped.

"I know about the other man or men." Jake's hands curled into fists. "If you needed comfort why not call me instead of seeking it from some random? Why wasn't I good enough?"

Bella couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was he for real? She pushed past him and strode over to the drink's cabinet so she could pour herself another drink. Dee was right she did need it. She drank it quickly, the liquid burning her throat. She kept her back to him as she spoke. "You bastard." She almost growled. "Seeking comfort? You have no idea. I did call asshole. I didn't phone your house directly because I knew how Billy felt about me and I didn't want to disturb him. So I called the only other person on the reservation that I trusted so she could pass a message to you, but you never called me back so I assumed that you didn't want to know."

Jake froze. She had called him? When? He had never received any messages. "Who are you talking about? I never knew anything about it. Who did you speak to Bella?" He demanded.

Bella poured another drink and chugged it down quickly. "Emily." She hissed. "I called Emily."

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	15. Chapter 15

**Quirk of Fate **

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews, Nikki **_

**Part Fourteen-Looking Back in Anger**

"Emily?" Jacob couldn't believe it. "Emily?" He kept repeating it over and over as it wouldn't sink in.

"I thought we'd already established that." Bella spat sarcastically as she poured another drink. She was so angry at him and his insinuations. How dare he criticize her for wanting and needing some human comfort at a time in her life when she was alone and scared, on the run with a young baby, and no means to support herself?

Jacob was still having trouble processing what Bella had inadvertently revealed in her anger. Emily had known that Bella was in trouble? Sweet gentle Emily, the mother figure the whole damn pack looked up to? It was too much to take in, but Jake knew that Bella wasn't lying. He knew her too well, knew that she was a terrible liar, and by the apoplectic look on her pretty face, it was obvious she was as riled up as he felt right in that moment. "When did you ring her, Bells? When?" He finally asked.

Bella flopped down on one of the leather sofas and sipped her drink. "Not long after I went on the run, a week or so. I was in desperate straits. The little money I had was running out, I needed to find a safe place to stay, Shannon was so little and vulnerable and we were being pursued across Italy by the Volturi." Her face turned white as she spoke, old memories haunting her as she was plunged back into a past full of fear and anxiety. "I ended up squatting in a rundown shack in the countryside, stealing food from the local farms and stuff. I also shoplifted milk for Shan." Bella closed her eyes as shame washed over her. "I didn't have a choice." She muttered defensively.

Jake felt sickened. He had never really thought through how desperate she must have been during those early days; it simply hadn't crossed his mind. All his petty problems which he had been wallowing about for days faded in an instant. He'd been an idiot, Paul and Embry were right, what had happened between them when they were younger was irrelevant. He was hurting them both with his inability to get past old pain that didn't matter anymore. They were both different people. Bella had strengths she never knew existed; hearing her desperate tale only made it all the clearer. "You did what you had to do, honey." He reached out and touched her hand.

Bella felt tears prick at her eyes; he hadn't used that endearment for a long time. She smiled weakly. "I would have done anything to protect her. I rang you, hoping that you could come and somehow get us. I missed you, needed your strength and courage. Also there was the practical reason that no vamps could see me in their visions when I'm around you." She took another sip of her drink.

Jake smiled wryly. Practical indeed! But it still didn't explain why Emily of all people wouldn't tell him about Bella's calls. That just wasn't like her, she had always been on his side when it came to Bella, she out of all the imprints had been supportive of Bella and befriended her, taking Bella under her wing as it were when the other members of the pack were ambivalent about their friendship. Her decision to remain silent could mean only one thing, Sam must have told her not to let him know.

Bella was unaware of his introspection. Her eyes were far away as she relived the past. "I scrounged up some money by begging and managed to place a call to Emily. I asked her to talk to you in secret and I waited by the phone box so you could ring me back at a certain time, but nothing. I tried one more time and she told me she had done her best to persuade you but that you had moved on and wanted me to leave you alone." She sighed and drained her glass. "I was shocked. I knew you were probably mad at me, but I thought you would still come; it was like a punch to the gut when she told me that. I was really alone then…." Her voice tailed off and she fell silent, staring at the glass in her hand as if it held the secrets of the universe.

Jacob joined her on the sofa. He carefully eased the glass out of her tight grip and turned her around so she was facing him. She gazed at him, the anger in her eyes dying to be replaced with hurt. Jake cupped her face in his warm hands, stroking her cold skin with his thumbs to infuse some heat into her. "I'm sorry I didn't know, Bells. I would have come, you have to know that. Whatever went on between us in the past I would have moved heaven and earth to get to you. Why did you never mention any of this when I saw you in L.A?"

Bella shrugged. "I don't know. It seemed irrelevant then. I didn't want to open up old wounds between us. There was so much going on."

Jake went silent for a moment as he continued to caress her face. The thought of what she had to endure back then was impossible to surmise. How frightened she had to have been, being alone with a baby, chased by vampires and having no means to support herself. No wonder she had sought help from others if she thought he had rejected her. "I can never imagine what it was like for you, honey." He said softly as a tear fell from her eyes.

"I can't talk about this anymore." Bad memories that she had managed to bury were beginning to resurface and she was petrified. She pulled Jake's hands away from her face before getting up. "I want to go now." She mumbled. "Dad and Shan are at the beach. I'll go join them."

Jake stood up too, he was deeply worried, and he could see that Bella was shutting down. She was wearing the same expression he had seen in the distant past, where she locked down her emotions because she couldn't cope. This was his fault; he had forced her to dredge up painful memories. Anger rippled down his spine as he thought about Sam and Emily. He reined it in; Bella didn't need to see him riled up. "I'll take you to the beach, and then I'm going to pay Sam and Emily a visit."

Bella just shrugged again. "If that's what you want." She pulled her hair back from her face and twisted it into a loose ponytail.

"Bells, I will always protect you, you're not alone." Jake said earnestly. "I love you."

Bella's eyes were dull as she glanced at him. "Let's go." She didn't acknowledge his declaration. Jake sighed as he followed her out of the house.

* * *

Jake parked up outside Sam and Emily's small wooden cabin. He hadn't been here in a long time. Nothing had changed. The same hanging baskets hung by the door. The front yard was swept clean, and Sam's black truck was parked outside. Jake knew he was at home, he could smell him. He walked slowly up the steps onto the front porch; he was in the midst of knocking when the door was opened by Sam himself. He had heard Jake pull up outside. "What are you doing here?" Sam demanded coldly as he crossed his arms defensively.

Immediately the tension increased between them. Jake glared at his former Alpha. His anger returned full force and he had a hard time subduing his wolf. "Why didn't you tell me that Bella called Emily?" He didn't bother with any greetings, instead getting right to the point.

A frown marred Sam's forehead as he dropped his defensive posture and stared at Jake. His confusion was obvious. "Em hasn't been in contact with Bella since she came back to Forks."

"Not recently." Jake snapped. "Years ago when Bella first went on the run, don't fucking deny that you didn't know that Bells reached out to Emily for help. It had to be you that stopped her from telling me that Bells was in danger."

Sam's frown deepened, his dark eyes swivelled to look into the cabin before he shut the door and drew closer to Jake. "It seems that Bella is feeding you a bunch of lies. I have no knowledge of any such phone calls." He stated adamantly.

Jake studied Sam carefully. He knew his Alpha well, he had been in his head for years, and was good at reading when he was trying to hide the truth, and by the way he was acting it seemed as if he really was clueless about the situation. Which could mean only one thing; Emily had kept the phone calls a secret and not even told her imprint. Why?

"You were a fool to get involved with Bella again." Sam continued. "She has done nothing but bring disunity within the pack and cause chaos like she always does. I never understood why you would leave someone like Grace; she would have made you a good wife and given you strong children. Emily's sister is…."

"A bitch." Jake snarled. "She was a manipulative bitch who lied about carrying my child in order to get me to marry her. She was only ever a fling, nothing more. It was only because you and Emily kept harping on at me to date her that I even bothered in the first place."

"Watch what you say." Sam's fists curled at his sides. "Emily's bloodline is strong. Quil imprinted on Claire and you should have by rights imprinted on Grace. I think it's your own stubbornness that prevented it happening."

"Do you even hear yourself?" Jake said in disbelief. "Why would I want to end up like you, huh? You threw Leah over for her own cousin, and yet you torture her with your incessant need to control her still."

"Do not mention Leah to me?" Sam seethed, his eyes glowed fiercely. "You know nothing."

"I know a lot. I've been in your head, don't forget?" Jake's arms began to shake, as did Sam's. The two of them faced off against each other, their wolves champing at the bit to be released so they could settle their ire in battle.

The door opened interrupting their confrontation. Emily slipped outside and joined Sam. She couldn't have failed to hear their argument; they hadn't kept their voices down. She looked between them, one hand reaching up to nervously smooth her long hair across the scarred skin along one side of her face. Her unconscious gesture made Sam flinch as he looked upon the damage he had unwittingly inflicted on his imprint in a tragic accident.

"Why did you not tell me Bella contacted me?" Jake demanded. He was beyond being polite.

Emily swallowed nervously as she looked at Sam. He remained silent as he stared back at her, waiting for her to answer. "Bella never called me." She finally said, the same hand nervously smoothed her hair again. "I don't know why she would say such a thing."

"You're lying." Jake spat. He could see it, it was written all over her, the way she couldn't stop fidgeting and the fact that she couldn't look him directly in the eyes. She was nervous and panicky.

"Emily?" Sam was watching her carefully. He could sense as well as see how anxious she was. He knew she was lying and it made him feel sick. Not his sweet, kind Emily. "Tell the truth." He implored her.

"She's trouble Sam." Emily whispered brokenly, she opened her arms to embrace Sam but he backed away. Sadness pooled in her eyes as she turned her attention to Jake. "You were dating Grace, she was a good match. She still is if you give her a chance. She adores you, Jake. We would be all one big happy family. The bloodlines would remain pure. When Claire is of age, she and Quil will marry and only make it that much stronger. Don't you see? Bella is poison; she will only destroy what we've built here. I was protecting us all in the only way I knew how." She ended defensively.

Jake was incredulous. He couldn't believe what Emily was saying. He glanced at Sam; he was staring at his imprint as if he had never seen her before. Sam swore under his breath. "I need some air." He retreated when Emily reached out to him again. "Stay away from me." Sam turned on his heel and fled into the forest to phase.

Jake stared at Emily in disgust as she began to cry, calling out for Sam to come back to her. "You did this to yourself." He said coldly when she tried to justify her actions to him.

"Please you have to see I did it for the greater good." She pleaded, wringing her hands together.

Jake just shook his head and threw her one last look of disgust mixed with hate as he followed Sam into the trees and phased.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	16. Chapter 16

**Quirk of Fate **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews, Nikki **_

**Part Fifteen-A Tentative Reconnection**

"Mommy can Joey stay over, please?" Shannon begged, widening her vivid blue eyes to their best effect. She knew Bella could never resist her puppy dog look. She saw her mother glance toward her grandfather. Charlie smiled and nodded his encouragement. Finally her mother sighed softly and ruffled Shannon's hair as she agreed. "Yay." Shannon ran off to tell Joey that he was coming back with them.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, dad?" Bella whispered so the others couldn't hear. "She's only known him for a few hours, and I have to work later, so you'll have to supervise them both."

"I've known Joey since he was born, he's a great kid and so are the whole family. Shannon needs this, Bells." Charlie reassured her. "I promise it will be fine. Just look at how excited she is?" He pointed over to Shannon who was jumping up and down along with Joey in front of his parent's.

Bella smiled and waved over at Diana, Joey's mother, mouthing thank you as she did so. Diana smiled back and winked. This reassured Bella even more, her dad was right, Shannon needed this shot at normality. It had been a while since she had seen such enthusiasm lighting up her daughter's face. "You're right." She took her father's arm and patted his hand. "I hope you have enough energy to cope with both of them." She teased him.

"Are you calling me old, kiddo?" Charlie pretended to be offended.

"As if?" Bella laughed, feeling a little lighter after the intensity of her talk with Jake. The dark memories faded a little as she leaned on the only parent who had ever given her an ounce of security.

* * *

"This is my room." Shannon jumped on the bed and bounced a little.

Joey crawled up next to her, jumping higher, causing Shannon to pitch forward and fall onto the floor with a thump. Joey immediately said sorry, worried that she had hurt herself, but he heard a small giggle as she climbed back onto her feet and smiled at him. "You're alright for a girl." He told her.

Shannon glowed under his praise and she immediately joined him back on the bed and began to bounce again, they laughed like the children they were, both picking up pillows and beginning to stage a mock battle with them.

Bella glanced at her dad as they heard the thumping on the ceiling from all the noise the two of them were making. Charlie didn't seem concerned and it made her relax. "Are you sure you're alright with this? I can tell them to quieten down." She offered.

"No way. Let them play." Charlie passed her a mug of coffee. "It brings life into this house. I always wished you had been able to have fun here when you came to stay." He sounded wistful, his eyes becoming misty as he lost himself in the past.

Bella couldn't recall much about her earlier visits, she had been so young and insecure in herself, even back then. It was sad to think that her father had been a virtual stranger to her when she came to stay for a brief holiday once a year. When she gradually became settled she was whisked off again, back to Renee and a life of uncertainty. Her mother was a flake, never settling anywhere for long, going from job to job in a restless attempt to find herself. Well Renee had found Phil instead, and now she had a companion to join her in her peripatetic life. He was a jobbing baseball player, moving from team to team at will. Bella didn't know how to answer her father so she just patted his hand and drank her coffee in comfortable silence. Her shift would start soon and she wasn't looking forward to it.

* * *

It was busy and Bella was run off her feet. On her short break she fled to the restroom so she could dab at her sweat soaked forehead and try to detangle her hair. She pulled it from the messy bun and readjusted it so it looked a bit tidier. Her hair was so heavy that it always fell out from whatever bindings she put it in. She dusted her face with some powder to take the shine off it, before diving back into work. She saw Gary looking at her admiringly and she sighed. There was another problem she was going to have to sort out; she just hoped she wouldn't lose her new job because of it.

"Bella? Is that you?" She turned swiftly when she heard a vaguely familiar voice call her name. She stared at the young man, he was slightly balding, and had a paunch, but his blue eyes reminded her of someone. She frowned. "It's me." The man continued. "Mike. Mike Newton."

Bella's eyes opened wide and she gasped. "Mike!" She exclaimed. "Of course. How are you? You look um… great." She lied badly. She hoped he wouldn't notice her hesitation. He had aged more than she would have thought. He obviously hadn't kept up with his fitness routine after leaving school.

"Thanks." Mike patted his stomach, shooting her a wry smile. "You look as lovely as ever. I can't believe you're working here. Or that you're back." He glanced at her bare ring finger. "Marriage not work out then?"

God, he was blunt! "No." Bella said shortly. "Can I take your order?"

"Oh, I've already ordered to go." Mike waved his hand toward the counter. "It's so odd to see you here, working as a waitress. I mean Edward Cullen had all that money. You'd think he would have left you very well off if you split…."

Bella interrupted his ramblings. "What is happening in my life is none of your business and there is nothing wrong with being a waitress. If you'll excuse me?" She said pointedly, deliberately turning her back on him. How dare he? Mike's appearance had changed, but his bad manners certainly hadn't. Charlie had told her he was now managing his parents store after dropping out of college. His own marriage to Jessica Stanley had barely lasted a year before she went on to better things, and no wonder? Bella shuddered at the thought that if her life had been different she might have been married to him. Perish the thought. She watched him shuffle out of the diner, his face chagrined at her dismissal of him. Served him right!

She was run off of her feet for the rest of her shift, and was glad when ten rolled around and the last customer was finally ejected. Her jar of tips had increased and she rattled it with pleasure, liking the sound of the coins mixed with notes jiggling about inside. This was her money, money she had earned herself. Mike's insinuation that she had married Edward because of his personal wealth irked her. That was probably what most people must have thought. Bella sighed and put her jar carefully back on the shelf as she got ready to leave.

"You've done well again." Gary interrupted her musings. He stood in front of her, invading her personal space as he reached out and took a lock of her hair in his hand and twisted it in his fingers. "You've got lovely hair."

Bella stepped back, feeling very uncomfortable. "I better go. Goodnight."

"I can't persuade you to stay for a drink?" Gary offered. He smiled ingratiatingly, getting in her way again.

"Can't, I've got to get home to my daughter." Bella said abruptly.

"She'll be asleep surely and your dad will be looking after her anyway." Gary caught her hand in his and kissed the back of it. "I really like you, Bella." He murmured.

"You are my boss." Bella pulled her hand away from his. This was the last thing she needed. She felt helpless, she just wanted him to back off and leave her alone.

"Does it matter?" Gary was not getting the hint.

"To me it does." Bella said firmly. "Goodnight Gary."

"Come on." Gary wheedled, catching her arm again as she turned away. Bella stiffened. "Just one drink?"

"I said no." Bella snapped.

"You heard her." A deep voice interrupted them. Bella swivelled around to find Jake standing near the entrance to the diner. He was glaring at Gary; his dark eyes alight with barely concealed anger.

Gary immediately let go and stepped back. "Calm down, dude. No harm meant."

Bella hurried over to Jake, who put an arm across her shoulders. He glared at Gary one last time before pulling Bella out into the open air with him. She breathed deeply, her breath fogging in front of her. The weather had turned much colder and she found herself unconsciously nestling closer to Jake as she sought his warmth. "Thanks for that."

"No problem." Jake tightened his hold on her as they strolled slowly back toward her house. "Has he tried it on before? I can go back and break his face if you want?" He was only half joking.

Bella dug him in the ribs lightly. "No, I think he got the message loud and clear."

Jake grinned at her for a moment before it faded and his expression turned serious. "I just came by to check on you. I'm sorry about earlier, Bells. I never wanted to upset you."

Bella tore her eyes away from his, not able to take the intensity that was growing between them. "It doesn't matter, Jake. I'll be fine."

"Want to talk about it?" Jake offered, he was glad that she wasn't shutting down like she had earlier that day. She seemed to have regained her composure after being forced to relive painful memories. He was still trying to deal with what she had told him about her early days on the run. He felt immensely guilty for pushing her away because of his own insecurities.

"Did you go and see Sam and Emily?" Bella asked.

Jake's face darkened. "Yes." He said curtly. "Emily finally admitted you called. Sam never knew." His anger at Sam's imprint came back to taunt him. He was having trouble believing that Emily could be so devious and manipulative, as was Sam. His former Alpha was still suffering. He had refused to go home, instead taking off by himself; much like Jake had done when he received Bella's wedding invitation. He had asked Jake to keep Emily's duplicity to himself until he returned. Jake had reluctantly agreed. He could understand Sam's distress. Emily had fooled them all.

"Sam never knew?" Bella was shocked, she had been so certain, much like Jake, that he had to have been the one preventing Emily passing on her urgent messages. Emily had always shown such kindness toward her in the past. Bella had trusted her. It was sickening to think she had got it so wrong. Just another thing she had misinterpreted. It seemed she did nothing but read people wrong. "I thought we were friends." She said sadly.

"This is all on Emily, Bells." Jake replied darkly. He didn't want to burden Bella with Emily's crazy talk about imprinting and pure bloodlines. The woman was mad.

They had reached the house. Jake walked Bella right to the front door. She fumbled with her key as she opened it before turning to face him. "I'd invite you in, but Shannon has had a friend sleepover and I don't want to disturb them. They're camping out in the front room." A smile lit up her face as she thought about Shannon's happiness now she had found a friend.

"That's cool." Jake was captivated by Bella's smile. It pushed the tiredness away from her face and lit up her beautiful brown eyes. He wanted to kiss her so badly but knew this wasn't the time. So much more needed to be said, it was enough that they were talking again. "Well goodnight, honey." He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Bella's cheek before flashing his special smile and disappearing into the darkness.

Bella's fingers touched the spot he had kissed. She could still feel the heat where his lips touched her skin. She stayed on the doorstep for a long time, staring after his retreating figure, a wistful look shining in her eyes.

* * *

Shannon felt a warm hand touch her shoulder and she jolted awake, the remnants of her nightmare still before her eyes. Joey was kneeling in front of her, his face full of anxiety. "You were crying." He whispered, pointing to the tears streaming down her face.

Shannon finally became aware of the wetness and rubbed her face vigorously with her hands. She felt embarrassed. "Sorry." She mumbled.

"Why are you sorry?" Joey relaxed as he saw she wasn't going to continue crying. She had been thrashing around in her sleep, calling for her mommy. He had been about to go and get Bella, but had decided against it. Shannon may not have wanted her mommy to see her upset.

"You're not mad? You don't think I'm weird?" Shannon checked anxiously, her eyes fixated on his face checking for any sign that he was going to suddenly take back his offer of friendship like others had in the past.

"No weirder than any other girl." Joey pulled her sleeping bag closer to his. "Come on." He crawled back into his and watched as Shannon settled back down. He held out his hand and she placed hers tentatively in his. "Don't worry I'll protect you." He mumbled as his eyes began to close.

Shannon felt more tears prick at her eyes. He was so sweet and kind. He was such a good friend. She lay on her back and closed her eyes, willing the bad dreams to stay away, but to no avail. The vampires with the haunted golden eyes appeared in her mind's eye, they were closer, much closer, and Shannon instinctively knew they could spell the end to the tentative happiness that she and her mother had found. She began to cry silently as she held on tightly to Joey's hand.

_**A/N-thank you for reading! **_


	17. Chapter 17

**Quirk of Fate**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thanks for the kind reviews, Nikki**_.

**Part Sixteen-The Truth Comes Out**

Bella noticed that Shannon was a bit subdued the next morning. The happiness that had radiated from her the day before seemed to have dissipated. She worried that her daughter had fallen out with Joey, but the young boy seemed just as concerned, and was doing his best to cheer Shannon up. Bella then began to wonder if Shannon was feeling under the weather, but when she gently questioned her daughter, she just shook her head and wandered away, her eyes filled with sadness, Joey would trail after her, sometimes taking her hand in reassurance. When Bella saw this gesture her eyes filled with tears, it was something Jake used to do, his way of showing comfort. A longing to speak to him washed over her and Bella found herself reaching for the phone and calling him.

It was Billy who answered. "Bella, it's good to hear from you. How are you?"

"Fine thanks. You?"

"Oh same old, same old." Billy could hear the tension in Bella's voice, he knew that she and Jake were in contact again, for which he was glad, but Jake was out patrolling and something seemed to have alarmed Bella. He knew Charlie was at work too so she would be alone with her child. "Are you alright?"

"Um…is Jake there?" Bella asked hopefully.

"Not at the moment, he's out patrolling and won't be back until later tonight."

"Oh, I see." Bella sounded crestfallen. "I'll um…try again later."

"Wait." Billy interjected. "Perhaps I can help?"

"I don't think…."

"Please Bella. Let me try. I would like to make things right between us." Billy heard a sob on the end of the line and his heart beat erratically in his chest. "Why don't you and Shannon come over now and we can talk. Make a day of it. Then when Jake comes home you can talk to him then." He suggested quickly.

Bella hesitated again as she glanced behind at Shannon and Joey. When she saw her daughter's tortured expression she agreed immediately. She couldn't bear seeing Shannon that way. Maybe the more experienced Billy would have a better idea of how to get through to Shannon; he'd reared two daughters of his own after all. "Shan has a friend with her, can he come too? He's from the res…Joey? Do you know him?"

"Little Joey? Di's boy? Of course, he's a great kid. Come on over and I'll get something on the stove and make you all some lunch."

"Thank you, Billy." Bella said gratefully.

"My pleasure." Billy said his goodbyes and put down the phone, his heart full of relief that finally he would be able to start the long road of reconciliation he so craved.

* * *

As soon as they arrived the smell of lunch made Joey drag Shannon straight toward the table, he greeted Billy easily. He knew the older man well so felt comfortable around him. Shannon said hello shyly before hiding behind the more confident Joey. Bella sat at the table with the two children and helped them open the jar of sauce so they could spread it over their food. Billy had put on quite a spread. He sat across from her and smiled. "Tuck in." He ordered the children. Joey didn't need any urging, Shannon just picked at her food, her eyes trained on her plate as if she was afraid to look at anyone.

Bella exchanged a despairing look with Billy and he reached across the table and patted her hand in reassurance and understanding, much like Charlie would have done. Her eyes filled with tears again and she had a hard time stopping them spilling onto her cheeks. Billy could see she was struggling and so decided to take charge. He began by talking to Joey, drawing the young boy into a conversation about what they had done the night before. This was his ruse to get Shannon involved. Billy knew the pretty little girl was stewing about something and afraid to speak, but he hoped talking about inane things would get her to relax. Eventually it worked. Shannon's thin shoulders drooped and she finally looked up at them all from her plate as she began to add her own voice to what fun she'd had the day before with her new friend.

Bella was full of gratitude toward the older man as she watched Shannon emerge from her shell and slowly begin to engage with them all again. There was still a deep sadness around her, but at least she was talking. The meal ended and Joey was eager to be out in the open air. He knew all about Jake's garage, a place filled with engines and all kinds of mechanical things which were like a wonderland to a boy his age. Billy suggested that Bella take Joey to go and see it while he minded Shannon. "I can't get the chair inside you see. Jake is not the most tidy person." He gave a mock sigh. Bella was well aware of what Billy was trying to do, he really was an expert. She whispered her thanks as she took Joey's hand and escorted him outside. This gave Billy time alone with Shannon.

"Hey, would you mind being a good girl and get that photo album down for me?" Billy pointed toward a shelf which he could easily reach, but he wanted Shannon to feel useful. She was definitely on edge and hiding something, it was blatantly obvious now.

"Okay." Shannon whispered. She ran over to the cabinet and reached up on her tiptoes so she could slide the album off the shelf. She carried it carefully over to Billy and laid it on his lap.

"Thank you very much." He smiled at her and slowly Shannon returned it. Billy motioned for her to sit in the chair next to his. "I want to show you something."

Shannon's curiosity was piqued. She climbed onto the seat and peered at the album as he opened it. "This is my family." Billy began to turn the pages slowly. "See there." He pointed at a photograph of Jake and his twin sisters, Rebecca and Rachel. "There's Jake when he was Joey's age, and there's Rachel, you know her and Jake, don't you?"

"Yes." Shannon nodded. She touched the black and white photograph reverently. "He smiles like Joey." She said shyly.

"He sure does. Jake has his mother's smile." Billy turned another page. "That's Sarah, my lovely wife and Jake and Rachel's mother." He gazed down upon the smiling face of his beloved wife. Sarah's smile was indeed the mirror of Jake's. He got his sunny personality from her too. He wished she was still alive, Sarah would know how to coax Shannon into opening up. She had that trustworthy way about her. But she wasn't here, it was down to him, he owed Bella and her daughter this.

"You miss her." Shannon broke in on his thoughts. She was tracing her fingers across Sarah's face, seemingly captivated by it.

Bella must have mentioned that his wife had passed on. Billy felt a lump come into his throat and he felt moisture pool in his eyes. "Very much." He choked out.

"Sarah misses you too." Shannon murmured. "She's very proud of her children and says she is at peace and not to worry about her." She raised her head, her abundant silvery, blonde hair falling about her shoulders, as she shot him another one of her shy smiles.

Billy couldn't stop the gasp from leaving his lips. He stared at Shannon in shock. She saw his look and misinterpreted it, she thought he was angry. She retreated from him, hiding her face behind her hair. "It's all right little one." Billy reached across and took her little hand in his. "It's okay." His soothing tone reassured Shannon and she dared to look at him again. "How do you know this, Shannon?" He asked. "Can you see Sarah? Or hear her?" Billy held his breath as he waited for her to reply.

"Yes." Shannon said faintly. "She was right there." She pointed in front of her. "But she's gone now."

Billy exhaled deeply, staring at the spot Shannon was pointing out to him. He couldn't see or feel anything, but she seemed so certain, he could tell by her demeanour she was telling the truth. This beautiful child was gifted indeed. Very gently he probed further. "Sweetheart, do you see other people, or perhaps other beings?"

Shannon's face paled until her skin was stark white. There it was, Billy knew he was getting close to what was troubling the little girl. She looked haunted as if she was fearful of getting into trouble.

"Shannon, can you see vampires?" He asked.

Shannon stared at him for a long time before she nodded. "Yes."

"You can tell me, little one. No one is going to be angry or upset with you. We all want to help." Billy put his hands on Shannon's thin shoulders as she began to tremble. "Don't be afraid."

"I don't want to have to leave. I want to stay." Shannon began to cry, the tears spilling down her cheeks in a torrent. Billy had never seen a child so distraught.

"No one will make you leave. We all love you." Billy rolled his chair forward and managed to pull a sobbing Shannon onto his lap. He stroked her hair and cuddled her until she calmed down a little. "Tell me what you've seen, little one. I want to help."

Shannon trembled like a leaf as she hid her face in his shoulder, her tears soaked his shirt as she mumbled something, and Billy had to strain to hear her words. "The ones with the yellow eyes are coming, they're coming for me. I don' wanna go. I'm scared. I'm scared."

* * *

Bella smiled as she watched an entranced Joey wander around Jake's garage touching this and that reverently. He looked as if he was in heaven. He began to ask Bella a stream of questions about what this was or that, but she honestly had no idea what half of the equipment was. It had changed since she had been there last; it was more like a proper workshop than in her day. The garage had been extended and there were two cars she didn't know the names of with their hoods open that Jake must be working on. She let him have a good look around for half an hour before she suggested going back to the house. Reluctantly Joey followed her back, glancing behind him at the garage all the way.

They found Shannon sitting on Billy's lap, her head resting on his shoulder. She wasn't crying anymore, but her red face showed traces of tears. As soon as Joey saw her he ran to her side and took hold of her hand. Shannon slid off of Billy's lap and stood next to her friend. Bella joined them, kneeling in front of her daughter and taking her face in her hands. "Are you okay, baby?"

"Yes, mommy." Shannon glanced at Billy, who smiled at her reassuringly.

"You two go and play while I have a word with Bella. There are ice lollies in the fridge if you want them." Joey's face brightened as he tugged on Shannon's hand and pulled her toward the kitchen.

Bella watched them go before turning her attention back to Billy. His face was grave and her heart clenched in her chest. He had done what she couldn't; she knew Shannon had told him something. "What did she say?" She asked fearfully.

Making sure that the children were out of earshot Billy told Bella everything that Shannon had revealed to him. He watched as her face turned as white as her daughter's had. She must guess who Shannon was referring to. "I thought they were dead." She said in alarm. "Oh god this can't be happening. It can't."

Billy took her hands. "You must remain calm, Bella. Take a deep breath."

Bella complied, inhaling deeply and then letting the breath out slowly. Her heart rate began to slow down and her panic subsided a little. She gazed at Jake's father helplessly; she didn't know what to do. Part of her was telling her to take Shannon and flee, but how far could they run alone without being found? Everything was stacked against them. Why couldn't they leave her in peace? Why did they have to destroy her life for a second time? "Tell me what to do?" She begged.

"You stay and fight." Billy stated firmly. "You stay right here where you have protection. No one can get to you with the pack to protect you."

"I can't ask that of them again." Bella said in despair.

"We look after our own." Billy took her hands and held them tightly in his own. "Do you hear? You and Shannon are family." He hushed her when Bella tried to speak. "When Jake gets back we'll tell him everything. I'll call Charlie and get him to come here after work. We'll sort this out, Bella. We will." He patted her hands before letting them go as he headed toward the phone.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	18. Chapter 18

**Quirk of Fate **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews, Nikki **_

**Part Seventeen-An Important Question**

Charlie was surprised when he got a call from Billy at work. He was half inclined not to take it, but decided that was petty. He was glad he did when his old friend told him what Bella's daughter had divulged. Charlie's face turned ashen as he as he tried to take it all in. It was hard getting used to this supernatural element that had now entered his life, before it was hovering on the fringes, he was aware that some odd things were happening in Forks, there had been too much that was unexplainable, but now he was in the know, he half wished that he was still ignorant. Once again Bella's life was in danger, it was at that moment that Charlie wished the Cullen's were in front of him right now, especially Edward Cullen, so he could set light to them all and banish them from the face of the earth. His face was grim when he ended the call, his staff noticed as he barked at them he was heading home early. They didn't question him; they could tell by his face that the call had been bad news. Charlie felt their eyes watching him warily as he shrugged on his jacket and stormed out of the station.

* * *

"Any sign of Sam yet?" This wasn't the first time Leah had asked that question. Jake sighed as he ran ahead of the pack, trying his utmost to keep his last meeting with Sam from playing out in his mind. Leah was the last person who needed to know at this stage exactly what her cousin had been up to. "I know you are hiding something, Jake." Leah snapped. She wouldn't let it go. "Where is he? Sam wouldn't just vanish and take off like this. He isn't…"

"Me?" Jake halted abruptly, causing the other members of the pack to swerve to avoid a collision with their Alpha.

Leah remained silent, although her eyes were hard and her tail switched nervously. The others surrounded her in a V-formation, all looking to Jake for some kind of guidance, even Jared and Quil had finally come round to the fact that he was now in charge. When Sam had abandoned his Alpha duties, they had naturally drifted toward his authority, though in Quil's case it had been a reluctant switch. He was still very tied to Claire and her connection to Emily's family.

"Drop it, Leah." Paul muttered, he knew that something was up but he could tell that Jake wanted to keep it hidden, whatever reason he had it had to be a good one. He exchanged a look with Embry who was standing close to him. Seth was by his sister's side as he always was, he knew what a firebrand Leah could be when she was pissed, and he sensed an explosion. The tension was palpable within all the pack. Brady and Colin lurked at the back, keeping out of the way in case a fight kicked off.

"Sam Uley's reason for leaving is his own affair." Jake managed to keep his tone even as he looked pointedly at Leah. "Don't go digging into something that is none of your business. He will be back in his own time."

Leah snarled a little as she lowered her head as if ready to attack, but Seth nudged her in the side and she stopped herself. "I'm going home. I am done here." She spat.

Jake didn't stop her. He felt it was best that she was out of the way for a while. He really didn't need any extra pressure at the moment. If Leah found out who knows what she would do. "Fan out." He ordered the rest of the pack. "I want every inch of the reservation explored and checked out. Go." He roared.

The pack did as he bid them, sloping off in ones and twos as they hunted for any sign of their enemy.

* * *

As soon as he reached Billy's house Charlie went inside and hunted for his daughter. He found Bella sitting at the kitchen table with Shannon and Joey, they were playing cards. Charlie swallowed thickly as a wave of relief washed over him to see that they were okay. He had been imagining all sorts of scenarios in his head on the journey over. He held out his arms to his family and both Bella and Shannon hurried over to him so he could hug them both. Joey looked at them all curiously, not really aware of what was going on, but sensing the emotion all the same. He slipped off of his chair and joined them, tugging on Charlie's trouser leg as he did so. "Can I have one too?" He asked, feeling left out.

Charlie glanced down at the little boy and made room for him too. They stood in a group hugging each other tightly; the entire Swan family had tears in their eyes. Billy watched them from his chair, his own eyes moist with tears.

* * *

Jake was tired when he got home. It had been a long day; he had been patrolling for twelve hours straight, using the time to get the pack used to the change in leadership. Apart from Quil, they had all been willing to follow his lead. It saddened Jake that it was one of his childhood best friends who was resistant to the change, but he hoped in time that this would change. Who knew how long Sam was going to be missing? He hoped it wouldn't be too long. Leah would not be put off for much longer, she was deeply suspicious and despite her protestations to the contrary, it was her hidden love for Sam that was pushing her forward. He had left Embry and Paul to keep an eye out for the next few hours until they were relieved by Quil and Jared.

Jake saw Charlie's cruiser parked outside, and he hurried inside, on the alert at once for trouble. There had to be a specific reason that Bella's father was at the house, and when he went inside he smelt not only Charlie but Bella and Shannon as well. He recognised little Joey as soon as he saw him sitting next to Shannon on the floor, Bella was reading to both of them as a form of distraction. Despite her best efforts it was obvious the children were jittery, as were Charlie and Billy, who were in the kitchen talking in low voices. It seemed that the coldness between the two men was at an end.

"Hey." Jake went straight to Bella and the children as he came into the room. He hunkered down and ruffled both Shannon's and Joey's hair in greeting.

"Jake." A small smile lit up Shannon's anxious face before she darted a look toward her mother, she still wasn't aware of Jake and Bella's reconnection and was worried her mother would be mad, but she was soothed to see Bella smiling.

"Hey, Jake." Bella closed the book and stood up. "Why don't you two finish colouring in that book Granddad bought you?" She suggested to Shannon. The little girl immediately got the hint. She grabbed Joey's hand and pulled him up with her. She knew Bella wanted to talk to Jake alone.

Jake watched them go before turning his attention to Bella. "What's wrong?"

"Let's go outside." She began to walk toward the front door. Her expression was grim as she led the way out of the house. Jake felt everyone's eyes on them as they left. A sinking feeling made his gut twist, he suddenly wasn't sure he wanted to hear what she was about to say. He longed for peace, but it seemed it would continually elude them all.

* * *

Jake sat on the porch steps with Bella beside him. He ran a hand through his hair as he looked out upon the land he loved so much. He had been fighting for so long to keep his home safe. Since the newborn battle the cold one's had become few and far between, they would get the odd nomads passing through, but as the pack's reputation began to pass among the vampires, many of them tended to avoid the area. When the Cullen's had left it had become clear that it was their continued presence in the area which had been attracting so many others to Washington State. Now according to Shannon the damned coven were on their way back, once again seeking things that did not belong to them.

Bella sat quietly beside Jake as she let the news sink in. She had begged Billy and Charlie to let her be the one to tell him. She felt guilty enough that she was once again dumping all her problems onto Jake. He had always been her staunchest defender, but how long could she keep taking from him and the others before they really did have enough? He was silent for so long that she began to worry that he had indeed reached his limit. She couldn't blame him. But she wouldn't give up on begging for his help, on her hands and knees if she had to. Not for herself but for Shannon. She didn't really think he would push them away, but she could understand his reluctance to once again commit the whole pack to guarding her and Shannon from harm.

"She must have really been suffering silently this whole time?" Jake finally said as he turned to face Bella. "She is so much like you in that way." A wry smile lit up his tired face and Bella felt relief flow through her. He wasn't mad.

"It was your dad who got her to open up." Bella glanced back at the house. "I knew she was hiding something but I didn't know it was this. She remembers the whole attack too." Pain crossed Bella's face and she jumped when she felt Jake take her hand. She stared down as he laced his fingers with hers.

"You can't keep feeling guilty, honey. How were you to know?" Jake said huskily. He was giving her that look again, that intense testing the boundaries look, the one she was having a hard time keeping at bay. Her heart began to flip flop in her chest, making her skin tingle.

"I'm her mother, it's my job." Bella looked up at him through her eyelashes. His eyes were so beautiful, dark and fierce in their intensity. Everything about him was beautiful; he was the only solid thing in her world. She never felt afraid when she was with him. With Edward she had always been on edge, anxiety always hovering close. "I feel like I've failed her."

"You're an awesome mom." Jake assured her. He reached across with his other hand and cupped her chin in his palm, raising her head so she was forced to look directly into his eyes. "I will protect you, Bella. We all will. You are not alone, not anymore. I promise while I have breath in my body I will keep you and Shannon safe."

Bella let out a small gasp as she felt her emotions overwhelm her. It was so good to have others to rely on, she had felt so alone for so long. She had only pretended to be strong, underneath she had been petrified. She put a trembling hand on his face and stroked the day old stubble which was growing. "I love you, Jacob." She whispered. "I really do love you. I never stopped loving you. I wish I had done things differently."

Her words took him by surprise. He hadn't expected her confession. He inhaled deeply, trying to contain his happiness. Her eyes were lambent in the half dark and he watched as tears began to spill down her cheeks. He leaned in and kissed them all away, his lips moving closer to hers, until Bella took the initiative and turned her head so their mouths met. "I love you." They both said at the same time, making them both laugh a little. Jake pressed his mouth harder on hers. The kiss started off slow and soft, but soon became hot and heavy. Jake pulled Bella onto his lap, wrapping his strong arms around her, not wanting to ever let her go. He loved the feel of her lithe body pressed to his. Their lips melded together, neither willing to part, even to breathe. But of course it had to end.

Bella was the first to pull back. She had both hands cupping his face as she breathed in deeply, trying to calm her wayward emotions. Jake's closeness was setting her body on fire, in a way that she had never experienced before. He leaned his forehead on hers and they both closed their eyes, letting the passion die a little between them. The silence grew long as they just listened to each other breathe. It was a comforting sound, a constant reminder that they were both young, alive and there was hope.

Jake opened his eyes and gazed at Bella's beautiful face. He caressed her cheek with his fingers over and over, marvelling at the feel of her soft skin. He felt a tightening in his chest at the thought of losing her from his life again. So much time had been wasted, and he was done with wasting even another minute. "Marry me, Bella?" He whispered, his eyes locking with hers. "Please marry me?"

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	19. Chapter 19

**Quirk of Fate **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews, Nikki **_

**Part Eighteen-An Omen**

"But I'm married to Edward." Bella protested. "If Shan is right, he and his family are on their way back here. He'll never agree to a divorce or an annulment, I know he won't."

Jake smiled as he continued to caress her cheek, trying to soothe her anxieties with his gentle touch. To him Edward Cullen was not a problem, because officially Cullen wasn't even alive. He had died over a century ago, surely the whole marriage between him and Bella was a sham, a sham made up for her benefit, and to convince her that was between them was real. He didn't want to put it as bluntly as that though. Even though he hated to admit it, Bella had loved or thought she loved the bloodsucker. She had been hurt enough by him and his whole family, and Jake didn't want to add to her pain.

"Bells, are you certain that the ceremony was really official? I mean did you see any paperwork?" Jake saw her frown as she began to mull over his questions. "Cullen died a long time ago, honey. Any paperwork would have to have been forged. None of it is real. You are a free woman, I am certain of it. Even if he tried to protest and refuse to divorce you or whatever, he can't go through official channels; he would be investigated and found out at once."

It wasn't like the thought hadn't occurred to Bella in the first instance when Edward had asked her to marry him all those years ago. She had tentatively broached the same questions to him. Somewhere out there was a death certificate for Edward Mason, as he was originally named. Essentially his new name was a lie, a forgery made up to allow him freedom of movement around the globe. They must be very good forgery's, no one in authority had questioned their paperwork or I.D. But really what Jake said was right, Edward Cullen was not real, he was dead, and it also meant the marriage was fake too.

"You're right." She finally agreed. "Edward would never be able to prove that an official marriage took place, not without exposing himself and the whole family." She shook her head in disbelief as the blinkers finally fell from her eyes. She had been living in sin with Edward the whole time, if you could call it that, their union had never been consummated. All those lectures Edward had thrown at her when he tried to persuade her that marriage was the way to go, all if it was a lie, the whole ceremony was meaningless. Jake was right it had been Edward's way to put a claim on her, probably to rub his rival's face in it too. It had in essence been the spark which led Jake to run when Edward sent him the wedding invite behind her back. Another part of his grand scheme to manipulate events to his own advantage, he had made certain that there was no longer anybody in his way of getting her to go through with it. She had been wavering, she had. Marriage had never been high on her list of things to do, not at such a young age. She had seen her parent's marriage fail and it had tainted her ideals on the whole concept. It must have pissed Edward off that Jake came back on her wedding day, but the pack's intervention had stopped Jake doing anything much.

Jake let Bella have the time she needed to think things through. He watched her changing expressions as she thought through everything, he saw the despair, then the confusion and finally the anger mixed with sadness. Eventually she looked straight into his eyes and nodded. "Yes. I'll marry you, Jake. I want to marry you. Yes." A smile lit up her whole face, banishing the past where it belonged. She slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him gently on the lips. "I want to be your wife." She murmured against his mouth as he pulled her tightly against his heated body and kissed her over and over until she could no longer breathe.

* * *

Joey had been taken home and Shannon was asleep in Jake's room. Billy and Charlie listened in stunned silence as Jake and Bella told them their news. The two men exchanged a confused glance, neither able to voice what they were thinking.

"I know this seems rushed…" Jake began.

"You're not wrong." Billy agreed, he sighed heavily as he studied his son intently. "If this was announced at any other time I would be the first to congratulate you, but are you sure you're both not reacting to circumstances around you? With the threat of the Cullen's returning and everything…"

"We are not teenagers anymore." Jake interrupted him. "We both know what we want and we are damned if we're going to waste any more time." He stated firmly.

Charlie ignored Jake and focused all his attention on Bella. She met his stern gaze without flinching. She understood his ambivalence, of course she did, but he had to see that she was making the choice of her own free will. She loved Jake and wanted to make a life with him. Shannon would have an amazing father and eventually she would be able to give her some siblings.

"This is what you want, kiddo?" Charlie asked after a long moment of silence.

"Yes. I want to marry Jake. I want to make a life here, near you. This is the only place that has ever felt like home."

It was her last words which seemed to convince Charlie. He glanced at Billy one last time and shrugged. "Well then congratulations, kiddo." He smiled and held out his arms to her. Bella returned his smile in relief and hugged him tightly.

"Well then." Billy caved in, if Charlie was agreeable then who was he to stand in their way? "Congratulations, son."

Jake grinned as he knelt before his father and pulled him into a tight bear hug, causing Billy to plead for air. Jake released him and stepped toward Charlie, who shook his hand. "Treat her right boy; remember I'm a good shot." Was his only comment.

Bella rolled her eyes while Billy burst into laughter. Jake looked a little alarmed but soon recovered. "On that note let's have a drink to celebrate." He hurried to the kitchen to fetch some beers.

* * *

Everyone was surprised at Jake and Bella's news. Rachel and Paul congratulated them, and Jake's sister immediately pulled Bella to one side as she began to swap ideas with her about the ceremony. Embry and Dee were delighted, the latter immediately stole a bottle of expensive champagne from her parent's stash, and the three women got extremely drunk as they celebrated. The Clearwater's were a little more restrained, but gave them their blessing. The pack celebrated in their usual raucous fashion. They kidnapped Jake and they disappeared for twenty four hours, and when they came back Jake was exhausted, wide eyed and completely silent on what they had gotten up to. Paul had been the same when he came back after celebrating his upcoming nuptials with Rachel. She had never been able to find out what he had been up to, and it seemed Jake was going to remain as tight-lipped about his own experience. "Jeez, you have to let the pack have some secrets." Paul had complained after he and Jake had faced intense interrogation from the women.

Shannon was overwhelmed when she learned that her mother was getting married. One of her dreams was to have a father, she thought about it often, many times feeling envious of other families she saw from a distance who had both a mommy and a daddy. From the start she had liked Jake. He was kind, funny and caring. He accepted her for who she was, just like Paul and Rachel. She could tell her mother loved him, just by the way she looked at him and hung onto his every word. She had never seen Bella so relaxed and happy, and her emotions communicated themselves to Shannon. Jake and Bella had sat the little girl down and told her about their plans, essentially asking if she was okay with them becoming a family. Shannon hadn't taken long to show her exhilaration. Tears had sprung in her eyes as she launched her little body at them both and tried to hug them with her thin arms. It was moment Bella knew she would never forget and she stored it in her heart, to be revisited in times of sadness. Shannon's face had been glowing as they all celebrated together, for the first time in a long time everyone was happy, and they all revelled in it.

* * *

Jake and Bella didn't want to wait, they had waited long enough. Time was short and they didn't know when the Cullen's were going to show up. So ten days after they got engaged they married. It was a quiet affair, most of the celebrating had been in the days leading up to the big day. Only close family, the pack and the elders were in attendance. Old Quil had been asked to marry them in the traditional Quileute way. After a private meeting with both Jake and Bella, he had agreed. So, on a hazy day, with clouds in the sky and a light rain falling, Jake and Bella exchanged vows in front of their guests. Shannon stood behind her mother dressed in traditional tribal wear with her silvery blonde hair tied in an intricate braid weaved with wild flowers. Bella was dressed in a similar fashion to her daughter. She listened in rapt silence as Jake and Bella spoke about their love for each other, first in English, and then in Quileute. Bella had been learning the words in the run up to the wedding, coached by Rachel, and she didn't stumble once over the complicated words. Her face was shining as was Jake's, neither taking their eyes away from each other as they pledged their love.

When Old Quil pronounced them man and wife the guests began to cheer. Bella turned to look at her daughter, tears of happiness shining in her eyes and a serene smile on her face. Shannon gazed back at her mother, her own eyes glowing as she reflected Bella's happiness. Bella held out her hands to her daughter and Shannon ran to take them. The clouds above parted letting through a shaft of light, it bathed mother and daughter in a warm glow, before it just as abruptly disappeared. It was when Bella let go of Shannon's hands and turned to the guests to receive their congratulations that Shannon's world turned dark.

Blackness drowned out the happy scene in front of her and she found herself standing in a muddy field, the rain teeming down from an angry sky. She began to tremble, her hair and dress becoming plastered to her body, sending chills through her skin. She was cold, so cold, and as cold as the strange man standing before her. His eyes were the mirror of hers. She saw herself reflected in them; her skin was as white as snow. He was speaking to her; she strained to hear what he was saying. It was all so foggy. Then Shannon made the mistake of looking down at the ground in front of her. A scream tore from her lips as she looked upon the broken body of her mother. Bella lay face down in the mud, the relentless rain beating down on her.

"MOMMY." Shannon cried over and over as she fell down beside Bella and tried to rouse her. "MOMMY, WAKE UP."

The stranger hunkered down in front of her and looked dispassionately at Bella's inert body drowning in the mud. He caught hold of Shannon's hand in a tight grip and dragged her away. Shannon tried to fight him but he was remorseless and wouldn't let go. He was travelling fast, as fast as any vampire. But Shannon could feel warmth emanating from him too as well as the cold. "I wan' my mommy."

The stranger became impatient. He stopped and picked Shannon up and forced her to look in his cold eyes. "She is not your mother." He said impatiently. "My wife was your true mother, that woman is an imposter." He shook her a little. "You know me child. You know who I am?"

Shannon shook her head, the wet tendrils of her hair smacked against her cold cheeks as she trembled and shook. The man smiled slowly, it wasn't a nice smile, it was more of a sneer. "I am your father, child. I have come back to claim what is mine."

Shannon's world turned dark again as she fell down and curled up into a foetal position. As if from a distance she heard her mother's concerned voice, as well as Jake's and several others, but she remained mute, as fear and anxiety sealed her lips shut.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	20. Chapter 20

**Quirk of Fate **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thanks for the kind reviews. A lot of readers were puzzled about Nahuel because they all thought he had gone to the Volturi to kill himself. That was what Bella was told by the Cullen's. She didn't know for sure, it was only assumed. Just as she assumed the Cullen's had been executed. I'm sorry for the confusion. I promise it will all make sense in the end! Nikki **_

**Part Nineteen-Sam**

Jake and Bella lay on the bed with Shannon in the middle. She had her eyes closed and was still curled up in a ball refusing to speak. Bella had been shocked to her core when she heard Shannon's cry of fear, and then to see her drop to the ground like a stone, mere seconds before she had been happy and radiant. She must have seen something, which was the only thing that Bella could think off. It must have been so frightening that the young girl could not process it, and consequently had shut down. While Jake picked Shannon up and carried her into the house, Billy and Charlie quickly began to circulate among the guests and asked them politely to head on home as Shannon had been taken ill. Only the pack were aware of what was happening, they stayed around the house, some in wolf form keeping guard within the surrounding forest, others sitting like sentinels on the porch, waiting for news.

Paul and Rachel were inside the house with Charlie and Billy. All of them waited for either Jake or Bella to come out and tell them what was going on. The time seemed to go by interminably slow before Jake finally emerged from his room. His eyes showed his distress which immediately told them all it wasn't good news. He slumped down on the old couch and rested his elbows on his knees. "She won't speak. Bells and I have tried but she has shut down completely."

"I could try and talk to her like before." Billy suggested.

Jake shook his head. "I don't think that will work this time, dad. Whatever she saw really freaked her out."

"Can I give her this?" Charlie held up his old hunting shirt, it was the same one that Shannon had used in the past when she needed something tangible to touch when she was upset. He had driven home like a maniac to fetch it. He needed to do something, he felt so helpless.

"Yeah, good idea." Jake felt choked up by this small gesture. He watched as Charlie hurried to his bedroom and knocked on the door. Bella answered him, her voice faint and full of worry.

Charlie was in there for a few moments before he came back out. His face was ashen. "She moved enough so I could put the shirt on her." His said weakly. "But she won't speak."

"It will comfort her, Chief." Billy put a hand on his friend's shoulder in solidarity.

"Seth, Embry and Quil are on guard, the others are outside." Paul told Jake. "Did you want us to go further afield or stay close?" Like everyone Paul felt useless just standing about. He wanted to do something, anything to take his mind off of the poor child lying in the other room. Shannon had suffered enough already, it wasn't fair that she kept being tortured by these insane visions. He felt his anger building up inside at the unfairness of life.

"Yeah, could you take the others and get them to patrol the borders. Make sure you all pair up for now." Jake sensed how on edge Paul was. Rachel could too. She kissed her imprint and watched with sad eyes as he literally fled the house, barking orders at the others as he did so. Soon the whole pack was out in the wilderness, all on edge, all on the alert for some disaster they felt was coming their way.

* * *

"Shan, please talk to me baby?" Bella begged her daughter. She kept stroking Shannon's silvery blonde hair, but the little girl's eyes remained firmly shut as she refused to speak at all.

Jake came back into the room with some refreshments that Rachel had made, he slipped the tray on the little cabinet beside the bed and looked down at his wife and stepdaughter. Shannon was huddled up in Charlie's enormous shirt, she wasn't asleep, and he could see her eyes moving under her closed lids. He met Bella's anxious gaze with his own. "She won't talk." Bella said in despair.

"Shannon." Jake turned his attention back to the little girl. He touched her forehead, smoothing out the worry lines that no child her age should bear. "I know you're scared, little one, and I understand that you are afraid to talk, but we need to know what you saw. It could help us, help you. I want to protect you and your mommy, and knowing what you've seen can help me with that. Can you be a brave girl for daddy and tell me?"

Bella felt tears pool in her eyes when she heard Jake refer to himself as Shannon's father. She reached across with her free hand and grabbed hold of his. "I love you." She mouthed. He smiled at her and squeezed her hand in response.

Jake's words seemed to have pierced Shannon's melancholy. Her eyes fluttered open and she rolled onto her back and looked up at him. "Are you my daddy now?" She whispered anxiously.

"Yes, I am." Jake smoothed her hair back and smiled at her tenderly. "You're my little girl now. We're all a family." He gestured toward Bella. "You, me, and your mom."

Shannon swallowed a couple of times and glanced at Bella, who nodded in agreement. "We're all together in this, baby. Can you tell us what's wrong?"

"I wanna stay here with this daddy and this mommy. I don' wanna go with the bad man. He's not my daddy, he's not." Shannon suddenly burst into floods of tears. She gulped in huge breaths as she choked on her unhappiness. "Please mommy, don' die, don' let bad man take me. Daddy…" She looked over at Jake. "Don' let him hurt mommy, don' let him take me away."

Jake and Bella stared at each other in horror as a distraught Shannon finally revealed what she had seen earlier that day. It sounded as if she had seen Nahuel, her real father, but that was an impossibility, wasn't it? Bella didn't know what to think. As far as she had been led to understand Nahuel had fled to Italy when his mate Serena had died giving birth to Shannon. That was what she had been told by the Cullen's. But then she had thought they were dead too, executed by the Volturi for shielding a hybrid, but she hadn't seen any of them die. According to Shannon, the Cullen's were coming closer and now her father was coming too. She could see the turmoil that Jake was in. Shannon had revealed that she had been lying lifeless in the mud when Nahuel kidnapped the little girl and took her away. Somehow he had gotten past the wolves or lured her out there in some way.

"I am going to step up the patrols." Jake stood up; his heart was hammering in his chest. This couldn't be happening; he had to make sure that he didn't let his new family out of his sight. Until then one or more of the pack would need to be on watch at the house at all hours of the day or night, whilst the others patrolled the borders constantly. There was no way that he was going to allow Shannon's vision to come true. Time wasn't set in stone, it couldn't be. She had given them prior warning. They would be ready. "I need to speak to the others." He continued. "Stay inside the house and don't leave for any reason. Promise me?" He begged Bella.

Bella had no intention of taking such a risk. "I promise." She reached out and took his hand for a moment, before he let go, kissing first Bella and then Shannon on the top of her head before he left.

* * *

Everybody was tense and on edge. Over the next few days Bella and Shannon were confined to the house. Joey asked to come over but for the time being, Jake decided it was best to keep him safely at home out of harm's way. Instead Shannon spoke to her friend on the phone as a compromise, it was a good way of distracting herself from the bad dreams she was having nightly. Charlie left the reservation only to go to work, he never went home afterwards instead he came back to La Push and effectively camped out at Billy's. He wanted to be close to his family, not liking the idea of being stuck in Forks, not knowing what was happening. The Black's house became the centre of operations, it was never empty. There was always some of the pack there as they rested in the spare room between shifts. Sue Clearwater came daily, bringing food and other supplies which were fast running out with so many extra mouths to feed. Sue and Charlie discreetly pitched in with money so that the larder was always topped up.

More days passed, only intensifying everyone's restlessness. Jake had seamlessly shifted into his role as leader of the pack, and they followed his orders with military precision. Running as a wolf managed to burn off the pack's tension, but for Bella and the others, they didn't have that release. Shannon was barely sleeping, dark circles underscored her eyes, and because she didn't sleep, neither did Bella. Charlie and Billy would often stay up late into the night as they both talked about the past, and Billy opened up more to his old friend about the reasons behind his decision to keep Charlie in the dark. Hearing it first-hand gave Charlie more of an insight into how much Billy had suffered, seeing Bella getting caught up with the tribe's enemies, and not being able to warn his oldest friend about the danger they presented. It saddened Charlie that Bella had not listened to Billy's clear warnings about the Cullen's but by then they already had their hooks deeply into her psyche.

* * *

Two weeks had passed with no sign or sound of any vampires. The long wait was taking its toll. Shannon came down with a fever, and Bella soon followed. Lack of sleep and constant tension had drained them and they were unable to fight off the infection. They lay in Jake's old room, both listless and out of sorts. Jake took time away from patrolling to stay with them for a while, but the pack too was exhausted. Jake wanted to cut down and give them all a rest, but he was worried that one slip could let the vampires through, and when he spoke to his brothers about it, they were as determined as he was to keep the area combed for any sign of danger. Jake couldn't express his gratitude to them enough.

Slowly the third week rolled around. Bella finally began to shake her fever, but Shannon did not. She was now seriously unwell and Bella was fretting. No amount of medicine or any other herbal remedy seemed to help. They couldn't take Shannon to a regular doctor because of her genetics and so were forced to watch helplessly as she suffered. Bella was constantly by her side, only leaving to use the bathroom or to eat, and when she was busy doing this, she made sure that one of the others was by Shannon's side.

"You're losing weight, Bells." Jake said to her worriedly one night when he managed to get home for a brief visit. He was fighting exhaustion himself, he had been up for twenty four hours straight patrolling the borders, and also keeping watch over the Cullen's old residence to see if there was any sign of their return. "You must eat to keep your strength up for Shan's sake."

"I know. I am eating I promise. I think I'm burning it off with all the worry. She is so listless, Jake. I'm scared." Bella sat next to her sleeping daughter, gazing down at her white face. It was like all the colour had been leached from Shannon's skin. "And you? Look at you?" Bella felt guilt wash over her. "You're exhausted, go and rest."

Jake sighed and flopped down on his back, his eyes already closing. "Wake me in a couple of hours. Love you." He was asleep before he finished speaking.

* * *

Jake didn't get his couple of hours rest; a howl went up barely minutes later. He staggered onto his feet, his limbs barely cooperating. Bella looked at him in alarm as he hurried out of the house. He stumbled outside to find Leah and Seth walking toward him, they were nearly bent double as they half carried an injured pack member between them. Leah was distraught, her eyes trained on the man, the man she had given her heart to so many years ago. Jake inhaled deeply as he gazed upon the broken body of Sam Uley.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	21. Chapter 21

**Quirk of Fate **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews, Nikki **_

**Part Twenty-Fight to the Death**

Sam's body was as badly broken as Jake's had been after the newborn battle. This time however there was no Carlisle to help mend his bones to make sure they were setting right. When Leah and Seth had found him comatose not far from the treaty line, they had been forced to drag his heavy body through the forest toward safety resulting in more injuries. Sam had been unconscious the whole time, but now his body was trying to heal itself and he was jolted awake, forced to feel every bit of his pain and hurt. Sue Clearwater had done a quick assessment of his injuries, but she was no doctor, and there was no way they could get any type of medical help from the hospital.

"He has several broken bones; his left leg is the worst. From what I can feel I think it is broken in at least three places. He has broken ribs and it seems as if someone or something has slammed into his back, he has heavy bruising there and I'm worried about damage to his internal organs." Sue told Jake, Billy and Charlie in low tones. "I wish I could help him, I can give him painkillers and try my best to shore up his injured leg, but it may not heal right." She glanced worriedly behind at her daughter. Leah was by Sam's side; she was holding onto his hand and trying to wipe the sweat away from his forehead which was rolling into his eyes. He was in absolute agony, but his pride made him keep his groans to a minimum.

"I can't believe this has happened." Jake ran a hand through his hair. He was so tired he was having trouble seeing straight. "The smell of vampires is all over him. He must have been attacked by several, Sam is a strong fighter, they must have overwhelmed him. Bastards!" He swore.

"Keep calm Jake." Charlie warned him. The atmosphere in the room was tense and he didn't want to Bella to see her husband falling apart. "Is Sam conscious enough to talk?" Charlie asked Sue.

"Yes, but I would like to get some painkillers into him first. Let me set up a drip and we'll see." Sue hurried over to Leah and whispered in her ear. Leah instantly tightened her hold on Sam's arm; Seth came over to press down on his shoulders as Sue began to work on Sam's body, doing her best to make him more comfortable. As she moved his leg, Sam couldn't stop a painful cry from slipping out. Jake glanced at his father and Charlie before he went to help the others minister to Sam.

* * *

It was a good two hours before Jake was able to talk to Sam. Sue had strapped Sam's leg and pumped some strong meds into his system. It did little to ease the pain but doped him up enough to be able to find rest. Jake hunkered down by his side and looked into his pain filled eyes. "What happened?"

"I was ambushed on my way back here." Sam gasped. Perspiration beaded his body and he clenched his teeth to stop himself groaning. He saw an anxious Leah hovering nearby and he gazed at her sadly. It had hurt him to know that she had been the one to find him; it was ironic in a way. Sue had asked him quietly whether he wanted her to contact Emily but he had steadfastly refused. He was in no condition to face his imprint just yet. He kept his eyes on Leah as he continued to tell Jake what had happened. "There were five of them; they were experienced fighters, not like the newborns we fought in the past. Their leader Jake, his smell reminded me of Shannon. He wasn't like the other vampires. He had human blood in him, but he was the most vicious of them all. When he couldn't get any information out of me, he made the others hold me down before stamping on my back." Sam winced at the remembered pain and the vicious look on the white face of his assailant. His blue eyes had a touch of insanity shining in them as he attacked.

"God." Jake had to force himself to contain his wolf. This was proof, proof that Shannon's vision was coming to pass. The hybrid that attacked Sam had to be Nahuel, Shannon's sire. Bella had been told a lie, or maybe the Cullen's hadn't known the truth either. Vampires were devious, especially with each other, and lied constantly. "I'm sorry this happened to you, Sam. Rest now." He stood up and Leah quickly took his place.

Even though exhaustion was overwhelming him, Jake couldn't rest until he had spoken to the rest of the pack and put a plan of action in place. The threat was now close to home, and they all needed to be ready.

* * *

Another two days passed, two days spent in turmoil. Fear and anxiety dragged everybody down as the waiting continued. Sam slowly began to heal, his ribs knit back together and the bruising and cuts on his skin faded. But it looked like his leg would be permanently damaged. The bones had not healed correctly, just as Sue Clearwater had feared. She tried several times to re-strap the leg but to no effect. By the third day, although still in pain, Sam tried to use his injured leg, only to snap the same bones for a second time. He tried to contain his frustration as there was already so much going on, it was only Leah's presence which seemed to ease his vexation.

Jake and the pack continued to patrol, this time they stayed closer to home and patrolled in pairs. He made sure that a more experienced wolf was paired with Brady and Colin as neither of the youngsters had really seen battle like the others. Bella never left Shannon's side. Her daughter's fever was worrying everybody, it didn't dissipate as Bella's had and Sue began to wonder whether they had suffered from the same virus. This illness reminded them both of the last time Shannon's temperature had reached dangerous levels. It had been just prior to the attack by Jane and the Volturi guard. They wondered if there was a connection. Was the nearness of the new threat the reason behind the little girl's inability to recover? Neither of them knew for sure, but their worry increased with each passing hour that Shannon lay listlessly in the bed, not eating and barely drinking.

* * *

On the fourth day the wait came to an end. A howl went up from the furthest corner of the reservation. Paul and Colin had come across the remains of some unfortunate hikers who had crossed paths with the vampires. While they were preoccupied examining the immediate area they were suddenly set upon by the same group who had attacked Sam. The other pack members rushed to the scene, leaving Seth and Leah to guard the Black's house. Jake was the first to arrive on the scene. He was shocked at the number attacking Paul, and how he was even managing to stay on his feet as he whirled this way and that, his huge jaws snapping, his eyes alight with anger and rage as his sharp teeth bit into the flailing limbs of his assailants.

Colin was on his side, already beaten down by a huge ferocious looking vampire with a bald head and gleaming red eyes. He had broken Colin's back and the youngster was whimpering in pain. Jake let out a loud roar as he attacked the bald vampire, his teeth sinking into the cold one's neck and ripping the head from his body. He didn't have time to see where the head rolled, he was immediately set upon by others and he became caught up in a fight for his life as he ducked and dived, trying to avoid the fatal hold which he knew would be the end of him.

* * *

Everyone else stayed in the Black's house. The tension was rife. Seth was phased and guarding the outside while Leah remained in her human form inside. She couldn't bear to leave Sam when he was in such a vulnerable position. Seth could see the fight playing out in his head and he longed to join his brothers in ripping the interlopers apart. They were all on the scene now, fighting and battling the cold ones. There seemed to be more in number than Sam had told them about. He must have run into a small group of them. At the head of the fight was Jake and Paul, they made an amazing team as they battled the more ferocious fighter's, tagging each other and urging each other on. Nowhere in sight was Shannon's sire. Seth couldn't see the hybrid among the attackers and he began to wonder just where he was.

* * *

Bella sat on the bed, cuddling Shannon in her lap. The little girl was distraught. She had woken from a fitful sleep yelling that _they were here, they were here_! Bella had picked her up and tried her best to soothe her. Charlie burst into the room and joined his family. He looked helplessly at Bella as Shannon continued to scream over and over. In the end he embraced them both and they all rocked together as they waited desperately for news.

* * *

A smell wafted Seth's way. It wasn't something he immediately recognised. It was human, mixed with something else, something too sickly sweet. He was on the alert at once and left his post, creeping around the side of the house on silent paws, his nose quivering as it tested the air in front of him. Whoever was there was now very close. Why couldn't he hear them? Had they some special ability that kept them cloaked? His thought was brief as someone landed on top of him as they leapt from the roof, a cold pair of hands squeezed around his throat, essentially cutting off his airway. Seth began to choke as he gasped for air, his tongue lolled out of his mouth, saliva dripping from his jaws. His vision began to darken as his assailant put more pressure on his neck. After a few moments of desperate scrambling to get the person off of his back, Seth fell to the ground unconscious.

* * *

Shannon stopped screaming. Her vivid blue eyes widened as she threw Bella a look full of despair. "He's here." She whispered.

Bella and Charlie exchanged a worried glance. They got up from the bed, Charlie shielding Bella and Shannon with his body as they backed toward the door. Bella called out for Leah, but before the she-wolf could respond the bedroom window was kicked in. A blast of cold air rushed inside taking their breath away. Shannon began to scream again as she recognised the man from her nightmarish vision. His face was a mask of anger, insanity radiated from his eyes. Charlie kept in front of his family, but his frail human strength was no match for Nahuel. Shannon's sire smashed a fist in Charlie's gut sending the older man reeling. He then grabbed Bella by her hair and wrested Shannon from her grasp, before dragging Bella after him, Shannon wedged under his arm as he left the house through the broken window.

* * *

It began to rain heavily. The water churned up the mud as Nahuel ran fast across the open plains as he headed toward the forest. He knew the private army he had managed to raise were probably dead by know. He knew from the Cullen's what dirty fighters the pack were. The other nomadic vampires he had paid were just a means to an end. He needed this child; he needed this child's blood. That she was born of his flesh made no difference to him. He wanted one thing, and one thing only. To resurrect the mate that he loved beyond life, beyond death. Years he had spent being tortured by the Volturi demons after he had fled to Volterra to ask for their help in healing Serena. He knew how old they were, he knew they had hidden knowledge that they shared with no one. They had to help, they had to. He wouldn't, couldn't exist in a world that Serena didn't grace. He hadn't factored in the Volturi leaders sickening hatred for half breeds. They had used him, experimented on him, while Aro forced him to reveal the whereabouts of the other hybrids, forced him to show every single memory and thought he had ever possessed. Aro had learned about his daughter and the Cullen's deception. The Volturi leader's anger had known no bounds at the betrayal by one of his favourites. It had all kicked off then. The Cullen's were summoned to Volterra and Nahuel had been thrown into the dungeons until after months, years of torture he had escaped.

While he had lurked in the darkness, Nahuel had learned much. The other vampires thought he was nothing but a dumb animal and treated him as such. No the only use he was to them was the blood running though his veins. He was an anomaly. They took samples from him as well as from the baby that the Cullen's were invited to bring with them. Aro was very sneaky he didn't reveal to his former favourite Carlisle what he intended to do with the child. Not until they were in his clutches and they couldn't leave. Aro had managed to draw one vial of Shannon's blood before the pesky women in the Cullen coven had managed to pass the child to their human pet and allow her to escape with his daughter.

After much testing the Volturi found that Nahuel's blood was practically worthless, but his child, his only daughter, now hers was the miracle they were looking for, a miracle they wanted to keep from the rest of the vampire world. His daughter's blood could heal, it could heal not only humans but it had the propensity to give life back to those who were dead. When he had heard this news whispered amongst his guards in his dank dungeon, Nahuel had felt hope flare in his deadened heart. He had lost his sanity months ago, but in his darkened mind he began to plot and plan. He would get out of there and when he did he was going to find the demon child who had killed his beloved Serena, then he would use her to bring his mate back to life, and after that, he would kill her.

The rain lashed down on Nahuel and he roared at the angry sky as it matched the adrenaline surging through his veins. He had everything within his grasp. The pesky human who had stolen what was his had lost consciousness after he had beat her around the head to keep her quiet, she was a heavy burden he no longer needed to carry. He dumped her face down in the mud. Shannon wriggled in his arms, screaming for her mother, hearing her ragged voice only enraged him more. Nahuel forced Shannon to look into his cold eyes. "She is not your mother. My wife was your true mother, that woman is an imposter." He shook Shannon a little. "You know me child, you know who I am?" He demanded as he watched the frightened child shake her head. "I am your father, child. I have come back to claim what is mine." Nahuel roared in her face.

They were the last words he ever uttered. A large shadow appeared behind him, he dropped Shannon to the ground as he faced down the largest wolf he had ever seen. Its jaws were wide as it lunged toward him, its sharp teeth biting deep into his neck. The red fur along its back glistened, the large muscles tensing as it shook Nahuel like a rag doll and wrested his head from his body. Nahuel's head rolled along the muddy ground, his blue eyes wide in shock. He was dead.

Jake phased back into his human form. Paul had come with him and was holding a confused and frightened Shannon in his arms. "You're safe, chica. You're safe." He nodded at Jake as he began to jog back toward the Black's house. Bella had already been taken back there by Embry and the others.

Jake was now standing alone in the rain, the water dripping down his back, sliding between his muscles which bunched as he picked up Nahuel's head and turned it to face him. "She is my daughter." He growled. "Mine, you son of a bitch." With these parting words he slung the head on top of the body and set light to them both.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	22. Chapter 22

**Quirk of Fate **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews. Please keep a tissue handy for this one! Nikki **_

**Part Twenty One-The End of a Life**

Bella was sent to the hospital, her head injury was severe. Nahuel had really given her a beating. One side of her face was black and blue, one of her eyes was swollen and she was still unconscious. Sue could do nothing for her and as Bella was human, there was no reason she couldn't receive proper medical care, unlike Colin, Sam and Seth. As soon as Jake returned to the house after dealing with Nahuel, he and Charlie left straight away with Bella in the back of an ambulance. Paul and Rachel were left to care for a distraught and still feverish Shannon, while Embry took charge of the pack, helping Sue to tend to the injuries of the others. Seth had finally come around, he seemed okay, but his mother insisted he lie down and rest. Sam was being looked after by Leah, his leg was still damaged and seemed would not heal properly. The greatest concern was Colin. The young teenager had broken his back, and though it was slowly healing, he seemed in a lot of pain. Sue could do nothing more than keep a close eye on him while his body tried to knit the clean break together.

Jake was extremely worried about Bella. He hadn't realised the extent of her injuries when he had attacked Nahuel, and had been shocked when he returned home to find the ambulance on his doorstep. He felt torn with guilt as he had to leave Shannon behind, the little girl was very unwell herself, and his worries were only eased a little that it was his sister and Paul who were looking after her. He would have trusted no one else with this task. He knew how fond they were of the special little girl. Jake did his best to focus all his attention on Bella. The paramedics did their best to stabilise her, but they kept shooting Jake curious glances as If they suspected he was behind her injuries. It was only the presence of the police chief that kept them silent on the subject. Jake tried to rein in his irritation as his only concern was Bella's welfare.

It seemed an interminably long journey to the hospital and both Jake and Charlie breathed a sigh of relief when the ambulance pulled up outside. While Charlie was forced to book Bella in and tell the nurse at reception what had happened, Jake stayed by Bella's side while she was wheeled into the E.R. It was only when the doctors swarmed around her that he was asked to wait outside.

* * *

Charlie brought Jake a coffee and sat beside him as they waited for news about Bella's condition. Two hours had passed as she underwent several tests and scans as they checked all her vital signs. Jake felt his emotions overwhelming him, he blamed himself, he should have been the one to stay and guard Bella and Shannon, but he had been champing at the bit to confront Nahuel himself and bring him down. Instead he had left Seth and Leah to look out for his wife and stepdaughter. Leah was obviously distracted because of Sam and his injuries and that more or less meant poor Seth was left alone to keep watch. He never stood a chance. Jake drank some of the coffee, it had a bitter taste, and he ended up throwing it away. He glanced at Charlie. Bella's father was still looking very pale. He had received a shocking blow from Nahuel, but he refused to get himself checked out. Charlie had diagnosed himself with bruised ribs, he'd suffered a similar injury in the past, and remembered the biting pain, but he could live with it. His only worry was Bella, she had to recover, she just had to. Both men sat silently side by side as they waited for news.

* * *

Another couple of hours passed before one of the doctors came to talk to them. He sat next to Charlie, having dealt with him several times in the past, as Charlie was a regular visitor to the hospital because of his line of work. He was a popular figure in the community and was well liked. The doctor hated having to be the one to deliver less than stellar news. "I'm sorry, Charlie. The scan we did on Bella's brain shows significant swelling. The blow she took to the side of her head was enormous. She is in a coma and we've transferred her to intensive care so she can be monitored more closely. I'm sorry I haven't better news. It is a case of wait and see I'm afraid."

Jake felt choked up as his heart did a somersault in his chest. He could see that Charlie looked just as sick as he felt inside. The older man exchanged a few more words with the doctor before asking if they could sit with Bella. The doctor nodded and Jake and Charlie followed him to the private room where Bella was being monitored. Jake went straight to her side, tears immediately welling up in his eyes as he looked upon her bruised and battered face. Her left eye was swollen, a large black and yellow bruise was forming around it, and in fact the whole left side of her face was a mass of bruising. "Oh god, Bells. I am so sorry." Jake took her hand in his and kissed the back of it. Her fingers felt chilly and he rubbed them between his own to infuse some warmth into them. "Please forgive me, honey. Please?" He begged her.

Charlie put a steadying hand on his shoulder. It upset him to hear Jake blame himself. He stared around at the machines that Bella was hooked up to. They just added to the frightening atmosphere, but he wouldn't let himself be weighed down by fear, his little girl was a fighter. He had to believe that she would recover. He tried to infuse some of his positivity to Jake, but Bella's husband barely heard him, he was too distraught. Jake was used to fixing things, but this time he couldn't fix Bella, it was out if his hands, all he, all any of them could do was wait.

* * *

Billy put the phone down after speaking to Charlie. He had given an update on Bella's condition. Billy's face was grim as he turned to look at the sea of faces gazing at him expectantly. Shannon was sitting on Paul's lap, her head resting on his shoulder as her huge eyes, made larger by the dark circles underscoring them, stared at Billy. "There is no change I'm afraid."

The silence in the room was deafening. Shannon had learned enough to know what Billy meant. She began to cry, her temperature spiking a little. Paul whispered comforting words to her while Rachel stroked the little girl's shiny silvery blonde hair. "It will be alright, chica. Your mommy is a strong woman. Trust me."

Shannon's eyes closed as she wept silent tears. Already she could feel her mother slipping further out of reach. Just as she saw Sarah's spirit, she now saw Bella's. Her mother was hovering between worlds, a foot in each realm, and as each moment ticked by she was being pulled further into the shadows.

* * *

A week passed. Seth had made a full recovery, and Colin was slowly getting back onto his feet. Healing his broken back had taken a lot of his youthful energy and it would be a while before he attempted phasing again. It seemed that Sam's leg would never be right. The bones had knit haphazardly and he now walked with a limp. With this injury there was no way he could possibly phase again, not without causing further injury to himself. As he could no longer turn wolf, as the days passed, he found his connection to Emily fading. He no longer felt the pull toward her and even though he was going to have to live with his injury for the rest of his life, he found he wasn't unhappy about it. Sam felt more like himself then he had in a long time. He still needed to talk to his imprint, Emily was still under the allusion he was missing, but as each day passed he felt stronger and was now waiting for news of Bella's recovery before he went ahead and spoke to her.

Shannon remained unwell. Her fever showed no sign of abating, and everyone was becoming increasingly worried. Occasionally she would answer when spoken to but she became very frail, and would only find sleep if either Paul or Rachel was with her. She clung to them as her world darkened around her. They hadn't taken her to see Bella in the hospital as they were anxious that she might fret and become much worse. They wanted Shannon to remain calm and positive. But none of them could see what was right in front of the little girl's eyes. Bella was losing the fight and soon she would be gone.

* * *

One week and one day since the attack Bella Black went into cardiac arrest. Jake and Charlie were sitting with her, each trying to talk, hoping against hope that their voices would rouse her from the coma. The machines suddenly went off and an alarm sounded. The room was suddenly swarming with medical staff and they were ushered out of the room so the doctors could work on her.

Jake was inconsolable. Charlie had trouble holding him back, he was glad that Embry and Quil were there, and they were able to restrain Jake from charging back into Bella's room. He was calling out her name as he fought against them, until finally the fight suddenly left him, and they ended up keeping him upright as they steered him to a chair. Jake began to cry then, great choking sobs. Embry and Quil had never heard anything like it and they didn't know what to do or say to comfort their friend. Instead Charlie took the strain. With tears in his own eyes he sat next to Jake and put a hand on his shoulder, showing him that he was not alone.

Twenty minutes passed when the door to Bella's room finally opened. One of the senior doctor's emerged. His eyes met Charlie's and Jake's and without him speaking one word, they knew.

* * *

Shannon lay in Jake's bedroom. The sun was out for once and a shaft of light shone through a slit in the curtains. Paul was sitting in a chair near the bed as he kept watch over Shannon. His eyes were closed as he dozed lightly. But Shannon was suddenly alert and fully awake. She sat up on the bed as she watched the dust motes spiralling in front of her in the light, they twisted and turned, making odd shapes until they coalesced into the shape of a woman, a woman Shannon recognised. Her little heart beat rapidly in her chest as she gazed upon the serene countenance of her mother. Bella's image drifted over to the bed and she leaned over Shannon, the little girl felt a light touch on her cheek where Bella touched her. She smiled sadly as she leaned in and kissed Shannon's forehead. "Stay strong, baby." She whispered. "My brave little girl." With these words Bella then vanished.

Shannon lay back down, her blue eyes filled with tears and she stared sightlessly in front of her. In the distance she heard the phone begin to ring.

* * *

In the Cullen's mansion lights suddenly blazed in the building that had been empty for so many years. The family so long absent had returned.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! :'( Trust me? **_


	23. Chapter 23

**Quirk of Fate **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thanks for the kind reviews. Anyone got a crane to lift a six foot seven werewolf? LOL ;) Nikki **_

**Part Twenty Two-A Miracle Indeed**

Carlisle Cullen slipped out of the ICU, looking left and right to make sure he wasn't seen by any of his former colleagues. Without his acute vampire senses, he was having to be extra cautious. He slipped the empty vial of blood into the pocket of his white coat and keyed in the code which opened the double doors leading out of the unit.

"My god, it is you." A voice behind him startled Carlisle. He stiffened for a moment, cursing inwardly that he had been discovered. Adapting to his now human body was very hard. He sighed heavily, so much for being discreet. Turning around he greeted one of his old colleague's, Geoff Robinson. They had shared many a long duty shift when Carlisle had worked at the hospital. Geoff reached out and shook Carlisle's hand vigorously as he looked him up and down. "Well, well you look great; you actually have some colour in your cheeks." He gestured toward Carlisle's dark tan. "The L.A. sun suits you."

"It certainly does. You look well yourself. Keeping busy?" Carlisle glanced behind him. He needed to get away from Geoff before they attracted anymore unwanted attention. He hadn't worked in the hospital for years and he knew he was going to have to come up with a plausible excuse as to why he was in the ICU which was reserved only for senior staff. Geoff continued to ramble on for another ten minutes before he scratched his head and brought up the very question Carlisle was worried about. Geoff looked at him expectantly as he waited for Carlisle to respond.

Thankfully Carlisle was saved from having to answer; there was a slight commotion behind them which attracted Geoff's attention. A nurse ran out of one of the rooms, her face was void of all colour and her eyes were wide as if she had just seen a ghost. "Doctor Robinson, come quick. Please? Please?" She begged. "It's a miracle. I can't believe my eyes. Please you have to see this. She's alive, alive I tell you." She grabbed hold of Geoff's arm and dragged him toward the room before he could say anymore to Carlisle.

Carlisle watched for a second, a satisfied smile playing about his lips as he patted the pocket of his white coat. "Worked like a charm." He murmured, before making a hurried exit.

* * *

Esme was waiting for him in the car. The black paint of the expensive Mercedes glinted in the sun as he opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat. He leaned across and kissed his wife's lips, savouring the warmth as he moved his mouth lazily with hers. He pulled back and glanced down at Esme's rounded belly. She was in the latter stages of her pregnancy. Esme was a sight to behold; her face glowed as she too glanced down at her stomach. She stroked it lightly before switching on the engine. "No one saw you I hope?" She checked.

Carlisle winced. "Geoff did, remember him? But the sudden occurrence of a miracle took all the attention away from seeing me." He grinned suddenly, it lit up his whole face and his blue eyes sparkled with glee as he imagined Geoff's face when he saw Bella sitting up apparently alive and well, when only a few hours ago she had been pronounced dead.

Esme loved seeing Carlisle's smile; it made him look boyish, and smoothed out the lines of anxiety that marred his forehead. They had made it in time after all. They were worried at one point they would be too late. Having to travel the conventional way had slowed them down, but Alice's vision had been spot on as always. Esme felt sadness wash over her as she thought about Alice and of course Edward. Poor Edward! He would never get to see the woman he loved; never get to witness the blush on her cheeks or the sound of her laughter. He would love Bella for eternity, even long after she died a natural death. She felt Carlisle touch her hand in sympathy as if he knew what she was thinking,

"He would sacrifice himself a thousand times over to make sure Bella lived the life he always wanted, Alice too."

"But to serve Aro and the others for a hundred years?" Esme felt a tear roll down her cheek. She would never get used to the feeling of being able to cry again. "Without their sacrifice, we wouldn't be human, neither would Rose and Emmet. We have been given a second chance at life, all due to a vial of miraculous blood."

"Yes." Carlisle felt guilt weigh heavy on him as he thought about Edward and Alice. It was what they had both wanted. Alice never wanted to be human again, her first experience had been dire, she had Jasper, and they were both content to stay in Italy. A hundred years to a vampire was like a week to a human. As for Edward, his existence carrying out Aro's whims would be the price he paid for saving Bella one last time. Carlisle knew he would never see his former protégée ever again. He would be dead before Edward was released from his servitude in Volterra. Shannon's blood had proved a miracle indeed, more of a miracle then even the Volturi had been aware of. They did not know it had the potential to cure all vampires. Luckily Aro thought Shannon was dead, killed by his little pet Jane. Edward's sacrifice had meant that Aro was quite happy to hand over the last remaining drops of Shannon's blood to Carlisle. He had what he wanted and he was content with that.

"Do you think we should contact the wolves and tell them what we've done?" Esme asked tentatively. "And the potential of Shannon's blood, what it can do?"

"No." Carlisle stated firmly. "Let the knowledge of what Shannon's blood can do die with her. That poor child has been through enough. If it was ever to get out then she would be poked and prodded like a rat in a lab. Of course the wolves would try and keep a lid on it if they knew, but a secret like that has a way of getting out. No darling, let's leave them all to think that Bella's recovery is a miracle." He patted Esme's hand. "We should go; Rose and Emmet are waiting for us at the airport."

Esme smiled at him serenely as she pulled out of the car park and drove away from the hospital, neither of them looked back.

* * *

Shannon woke up from a deep sleep. She had been having the strangest dream. She was in a white room, a room with strange beeping machines and bright lights shining overhead. She saw her mother lying on a cold metal table. A white sheet was drawn up to her chin, her eyes were closed and she looked like she was sleeping. Shannon had crept closer, anxious to wake Bella; she had missed her so much. But before she reached the table, a door opened and a strange man entered the room, he had shiny blonde hair and blue eyes, he was very handsome. He strode over to the table where her mother was laid out and dug his hand into the pocket of a white coat he was wearing. Shannon held her breath as she watched him look covertly right then left before balancing the back of Bella's head in one hand and using the other to force a vial to Bella's lips. A red liquid leaked out of the vial, the man poured it in her mother's mouth until it was empty. He then gently lay Bella's head back down before smiling at her. "Live your life well and be happy Bella Swan." He whispered. A moment later he left the room.

Shannon let out her long held breath and continued to pad toward her mother, her little feet made no sound. However before she reached the table Bella suddenly took in a deep heaving breath. Her chest rose as she inhaled deeply and ever so slowly her eyes fluttered open. "Mommy." Shannon felt joy overwhelm her and she rushed toward Bella, her arms open wide….

She was jolted awake before she reached her mother. Shannon felt herself being lifted in a pair of warm arms. She gazed upon the grief stricken face of her new father. He had been the one to tell her that Bella had died, even though Shannon already knew. His dark eyes roamed her face as he kissed her on the forehead. "Dreaming of mommy?" He asked softly. Shannon could see the ever present tears in his eyes. He was still so sad, but he didn't need to be, not any longer.

"Daddy, she's back." Shannon smiled and hooked her thin arms around his neck. "Can we go and bring her home now?"

Jake felt his heart constrict in his chest at her words. He thought the bad news had sunk in. She seemed to understand when he told her that Bella was in heaven with the angels. She had gone straight to sleep and he had been sitting in the chair beside her, trying to contain his own grief as he listened to her dream. Somehow she had convinced herself that Bella was still alive. Jake was going to put it down to the fever, but when he checked Shannon's forehead it was a normal temperature. How ironic she had recovered and her mother hadn't? Jake hugged her to him as he tried to explain that Bella wasn't coming home. Shannon didn't listen, she kept insisting that they go and collect her mommy. In the distance Jake heard the phone begin to ring. He sighed heavily as he carried Shannon out of the bedroom, down the hall and into the living room. Billy had answered the call; he was sitting there, the phone hanging limply in his hand.

"Dad?" Jake asked cautiously. He felt sick; he couldn't take anymore bad news. His life had ended already. It was only caring for Shannon that was keeping him sane.

Billy raised his head as he finally put the phone back in its cradle. "That was…that was…."

"That was who?" Jake demanded. What the hell was wrong with his dad?

Billy shook his head in disbelief. He just couldn't comprehend what had just happened. "That was Bella." He finally blurted out. "She wants you to bring Shan and collect her from the hospital."

Jake was a strong, six foot, seven inch, alpha male and he had never fainted in his whole life, but right then the blood rushed to his head and he toppled backwards, landing on the floor with a loud thud. Shannon fell against his chest, still encased in his arms. She shook her head and smiled at a confused Billy. "I told him, do you think he believes now?" She asked innocently.

"I think he does child." Billy mumbled. "I think he does."

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	24. Chapter 24

**Quirk of Fate **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

_**A/N-thank you for the lovely reviews and for following this story! Nikki **_

**Epilogue**

Jake trailed his fingers down the curve of Bella's back. She was fast asleep after another round of energetic lovemaking. She needed rest but Jake certainly didn't. It amused him how she would fall asleep quickly, take a short nap, and then be ready for round two, three or whatever as she called it. Jake marvelled at the feel of Bella's soft skin, he loved touching her, feeling the warmth exuding from her body and the gentle rhythm of her breathing. It was a sound he never thought he would get to hear ever again. The miracle of her return was still fresh in his mind, and he knew it would take a long time for the painful memory of losing her to fade. He never wanted to feel that way again.

His mind wandered back to the day of the call. He had fainted, yes fainted, he was a six foot something, muscle bound werewolf and he had collapsed on the floor when his father had delivered the stunning news of his wife's recovery. It was odd how Shannon had already known, the little girl had tried to tell him in her own sweet way, but he had refused to listen. He wouldn't make that mistake again. Paul had witnessed his fall and had much fun afterward replaying the incident in his head for all of the pack to witness, Jake laughed along with them when he saw his huge body hit the ground, he could afford to laugh now, he had everything he ever wanted. He had Bella, a sweet stepdaughter, and was surrounded by loving family and friends.

Bella rolled onto her back as she began to stir from her nap. Her beautiful brown eyes fluttered open and she smiled lazily as Jake continued to caress her, already igniting the passion lying just below the surface. She stretched, giving him an eyeful of her voluptuous breasts. She saw his eyes zero in on them and she laughed, quickly sitting up and straddling him before he had a chance to think. She rested her hands on his broad shoulders as he slipped easily inside her. She adored the way he filled her and met his heated kiss as he began to move below her, first achingly slowly, building up the tension, then faster, finding a rhythm that stirred up the aching need within Bella, the need for release. Her nails dug into his skin as she pressed her body against his, his strong arms wound around her, holding her in place, the tendrils of her hair tickling his skin as they moved against each other. Bella could feel the electricity between them, could feel the tension increasing inside her, and she moaned softly as she pushed harder against him, trying to obtain that pinnacle of release. Jake murmured her name over and over as their passion climbed higher and higher, and then with practised ease they both reached orgasm at the same time. Jake held her tightly in his arms as she sighed softly and rested her head on his shoulder. "I love you." She whispered.

"And I love you, so much, Bells." Jake felt himself getting overly emotional. He hugged her tighter to his hard body, hating the fact that he had to slip out of her; he already missed their unique connection. His ache to be near her constantly consumed him, and at times he worried that this would make him too controlling, but Bella seemed to understand his need to have her with him. He had nearly lost her and she knew it hurt him if she was out of his sight for too long. So in subtle ways she made sure that she was always within contact, whether by phone if she had popped out shopping, or just by talking to him if she was occupied in another room. It eased his anxiety, and she hoped that as more time passed, allowing them both to relax then Jake's worry would fade. She just wanted to make the transition easier.

"It was nice of Dee to loan us this cabin for a few days." Bella glanced around the palatial lodge; it had every modern convenience imaginable. It was owned by Dee's parents, but she sneakily loaned them the key so they could have a belated honeymoon of sorts. It was only for a weekend, and already their time was up. It had been hard leaving Shannon behind with Charlie. Bella trusted her father of course, but it didn't mean she stopped worrying. Rachel and Paul had promised to keep a discreet eye from a distance, and that eased Bella's anxiety. Even though she had loved this private time with Jake, she was looking forward to going home, and she could sense so was he.

Jake rolled out of the bed and yawned. "Race you to the shower?" He challenged her. Bella's eyes roved his buff body and she licked her lips involuntarily. Without warning she quickly darted past him, trying to reach the en-suite before him, but he was too fast for her. Jake laughed as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the bathroom.

* * *

Bella looked out at the scenery as they drove home to La Push. She loved seeing the open plains suddenly give way to dense forest. After living all her young life in dry, dusty places like Phoenix, she had come to appreciate the lushness of Washington State, and the cool weather kissed her skin as she leaned her arm out of the window of Jake's truck.

"I wonder how Dee's family took her elopement with Embry?" Jake's husky voice broke through Bella's introspection. Their friends had decided to bite the bullet and head to Las Vegas to get married. Deanna's family had been angry when they learned that Jake wasn't their daughter's beau, but Embry, someone they considered to be not worthy of their daughter because of his mother's reputation on the reservation. There had been a big blow up between Dee and her parents after she finally revealed the truth, and after witnessing their rage, she had left the family home and moved in with Embry instead. While Jake and Bella had been holidaying in secret in the cabin, their two friends were getting hitched.

"I expect they were pissed." Bella shrugged. She opened her cell and smiled at the pictures that Dee had sent of her and Embry getting married by an Elvis impersonator. They looked so happy and in love. "But I hardly think Dee cares."

"I doubt it." Jake grinned at her, reaching across to take her hand in his own. "Things are sure changing, honey. There's Dee and Em, and Sam and Leah of course. Now he's ended his association with Emily, things are looking up for them."

"His injury certainly hasn't affected him as we all thought." Bella mused. "Sam seems accepting, well actually I think it has been a relief to him that he can no longer phase. The heavy responsibility has gone."

"Yeah, he was only thrust into the role because he was the eldest and the first to change. When he imprinted his life was thrown into further chaos." Jake paused as he thought about his former Alpha. "I have a feeling that Lee will tell me she will stop phasing too."

"How do you feel about that?" Bella squeezed his hand.

"I've been expecting it. Leah has always been unhappy being the only female. I think it will be for the best, for both of them to start with a clean slate." Jake had to let go of Bella's hand to change gear. La Push was drawing nearer and both of them could feel the excitement build up in them the closer they got to home.

* * *

Jake parked up outside, got out and pulled their meagre luggage out of the truck. The front door opened and Shannon burst out, followed by Joey. Shannon threw herself at her mother, and Bella laughed in delight as she picked her daughter up in her arms. Shannon's pretty face was glowing. Her shiny, silvery blonde hair was done up in a long braid, and she had a white comb in her hair with white tulle stuck to it with sticky tape. It was like a bridal veil, and when Bella looked closer she noticed that Shannon was wearing a white silky dress and white pumps. She then turned her attention to Joey; he was dressed in a smart pair of trousers and white shirt. He had a scowl on his face as he poked at a red flower stuck to his lapel with a pin, it seemed that it had pricked his skin and he wasn't happy about it.

"What's going on here?" Bella asked, although she could already guess. The outfits kind of gave it away.

"Joey and I got married." Shannon babbled. "We wanted a honeymoon too."

Bella stifled a giggle as she tried to keep a serious expression on her face. She heard Jake choke behind her. Joey was looking at them all suspiciously. He wasn't happy about being forced to wear his smart clothes and pretend to say silly vow things with yucky words like love and forever and ever. Ugh! He had only gone through with it for Shannon's sake because she had told him they had to do this to get to the honeymoon where they could do lots of fun things like her mommy and daddy were doing on theirs. When Joey asked her what fun things, Shannon hadn't been sure. She had waited until her parents came back so she could ask them.

"Mommy." Shannon wheedled, her blue eyes wide and innocent. "What fun games did you play on your honeymoon?"

Jake choked his laughter down again as he slipped past Bella carrying the bags. "This one is all yours." He said with a grin.

Bella rolled her eyes as she felt Joey and Shannon's eyes locked on her. "Um…games huh? Well we played scrabble."

"Scrabble?" Joey kicked at a stone on the ground. He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Boring!"

"Um… we made cakes." Bella felt her face redden. Suddenly her normally vibrant imagination was deserting her as images of what she and Jake had really done filled her head.

"Cakes?" Shannon looked crestfallen. This honeymoon wasn't as exciting as she thought. "What else?"

"We watched television." Bella continued as she walked inside still carrying a bemused Shannon. Joey trailed behind, yanking the flower off his shirt and chucking it in the mud. "Lots and lots of television…."

_**The End.**_

_**A/N-thank you for following me on this journey, hugs! Nikki **_


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